Man Fined for Letting His 'Pet' Snake Slither Without Leash at a Park

A man ended up paying more than a hundred dollars for letting his pet roam "freely" at a park.

According to reports, Jerry Kimball of North Dakota was reportedly approached by the officer after a woman complained that his snake, a Fire Bee Ball Python, was wandering at Falls Park in Sioux Falls.

"It was April Fool's Day, so I thought he was playing a joke," Kimball who was fined $190 ticket for "animals running at large" told Argus Leader. 

"They're not fast creatures. They're not going to run away," he added.

Ball pythons, "known as royal python," are native to central and western Africa and thrive in warm, tropical areas. Female ball pythons, three to five feet long, are generally longer than the male ball pythons, which grow from two to three feet long. They are nonvenomous and is one of the most famous pet snakes for reptile enthusiasts.

For the side of the authorities, Animal Control Supervisor Julie DeJong told that the ordinance applies to all pets in public.

"If it's in public and it's not on a leash, it's at large. The ordinance doesn't really distinguish between animals," she said.

DeJong also added that not all people are comfortable with snakes and people who own a snake must consider this.

In response, Kimball said his purpose as a snake owner is to let people know that snakes are just like any other animals and that people should not be scared of them.

"That's my purpose in life: To let people know that snakes aren't killers. What better way to give back than to help people understand these misunderstood creatures," said Kimball who came to this realization after he was bit by a venomous cottonmouth snakebite when he was a child, Daily Mail notes.

Ball python breeding has been popular over the years. Some snakes with rare and distinctive pattern, which breeders attain through longtime breeding, are valued at more than $4,000. Recently, Justin Kobylka managed to breed a lavender albino piebald ball python with emoji prints on its skin.