Residents in a South Jersey town are on edge after a large snake was spotted in their neighborhood.
According to NBC40, animal control officers received several reports of a 12-foot-long python in the Villas section of Lower Township. Residents claim the snake was first spotted over a week ago. It was spotted several times since then and has not yet been captured.
One witness, Becky Clements, told NBC40 she took a picture of the snake eating a seagull in her backyard.
“I never thought I’d ever see a snake that big in the Villas,” Clements said.
According to NBC40, animal control officers suspect the snake was released by its owner. They are warning residents to keep their small pets and children away.
“Even a six or seven-year-old could be killed easily by a 10-foot snake,” Chris Conroy of New Jersey Nature told NBC40. “It’s not the safest for them to walk around right now in their backyard.”
Anyone who spots the snake is advised to call Lower Township Police immediately.
