Albino Python That 'Terrorized' Oklahoma Park for 6 Months Finally Captured

An Albino python that "terrorized" an Oklahoma park was finally captured after being on the loose for six months, according to reports last week.

The reticulated python is believed to be an escaped pet from an unknown owner and is suspected to have eaten several missing pet cats during its months-long roaming. Despite the fear it instilled in the area, the snake was rescued by a local animal shelter from the trailer park.

Albino Python Terrorizes Oklahoma Park

(Photo : Photo by William Warby on Unsplash)

In a Facebook post on October 26, the Oklahoma Exotics Rescue & Sanctuary confirmed that the albino python that was roaming around Oklahoma City's Burntwood Mobile Home Park is safe after it was found at the park by one of the homeowners. The animal shelter described the reptile as a "fairly healthy albino golden child reticulated python."

The wild animal was previously thought to have a size of around 13 feet long. However, the sanctuary also confirmed that the yellow-colored python is only about 8 feet long and has not eaten any cats or any other wild animals. Regardless, the rescued snake will be receiving medical treatments and rehab, according to the shelter.

The Oklahoma python has been identified to have the rare genetic condition albinism, which affects the amount of the pigment-controlling melanin. While albinism is associated with having extremely pale skin, eyes, and hair among humans, the said condition can also manifest in some animals, including mammals and reptiles.

Also Read: Invasive Burmese Python Skin Made into Leather Bags Could Save Florida Native Wildlife

Do Pythons Eat Other Animals?

Although the case of the Oklahoma albino python did not involve the death of any pets, pythons in general are still capable of eating small animals. In the wild, pythons (depending on their size) eat a variety of species of birds, lizards, rodents, and mammals such as antelope, monkeys, pigs, and wallabies, according to the San Diego Zoo Animals & Plants.

Even if wild pythons do not actively seek to consume pets, a large snake may consider eating domestic cats and small dogs, according to Graham Alexander, a professor at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. For more than a decade, there have been several recorded instances where a snake consumed a pet.

In 2021, reports of a python that killed a family's pet cat in Australia emerged, with the incident also caught on a disturbing video. The culprit was identified to be a 13-foot carpet python. Due to the incident, an Australian snake catcher warned residents to watch over their pets.

In 2022, a woman in Singapore was shocked after a reticulated python roaming the condominium compound of her home swallowed her pet cat. The incident occurred in Tanah Merah, Singapore.

In 2009, a similar case in Australia occurred when a 10-foot olive python consumed a 13-pound pet dog. The gruesome incident came to light when the dog's owner reportedly recalled of seeing the snake with a "coconut-shaped' bulge inside its belly.