Summary (tl;dr)

An 8-foot Burmese python was recently discovered and rescued from beneath a family's shed in Freehold Township, New Jersey, after it had consumed a large opossum. The unusual sighting has drawn significant public attention and highlighted concerns about exotic pet ownership and abandonment.

Essential Background

Burmese pythons are a non-native species to New Jersey, indigenous to Southeast Asia, and are typically kept as exotic pets, often requiring specific permits for legal ownership in the state. The practice of abandoning exotic animals, when they become too large or difficult to care for, poses risks to both the animals themselves and local ecosystems.

The Full Story

On August 5th, 2026, a Freehold Township resident, Leslie Daley, discovered an 8-foot-long, 40-pound Burmese python with a noticeably swollen belly under her backyard shed while watering flowers. The Monmouth County SPCA animal control officers, with the assistance of a local contractor, safely removed the massive snake by dismantling parts of the shed. X-rays later revealed the python had recently ingested a large opossum. Officials suspect the python was an abandoned pet, as it is not a species found in the wild in New Jersey. The snake is now being cared for by a permitted reptile expert.

Why It Matters

This incident has sparked public interest due to the unusual discovery of such a large, non-native snake in a residential area and serves as a stark reminder of the issues surrounding exotic pet ownership. The abandonment of exotic animals can lead to stress and danger for the pets themselves, and can also pose threats to native wildlife and domestic animals through predation or the introduction of diseases. Authorities, including the Monmouth County SPCA, are using this event to reiterate the importance of responsible pet ownership and to urge those who can no longer care for exotic animals to contact rescue organizations or shelters rather than releasing them into the wild.

Geographic Location

• Freehold Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States (discovery and rescue of the python)