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A New Jersey woman got a slithery surprise when she returned home from a wheel alignment and discovered a 3-foot python wedged inside the front grille of her car — prompting police to dismantle part of the vehicle to free the reptile.
Aiyana Hudson made the startling discovery on Sept. 14 in Franklin Township and called police for help, according to WABC-TV.
Body camera footage showed responding officers inspecting the car and working to determine how to safely remove the snake.
Officer Lisseth Villacis told the outlet that police initially contacted animal control but were told the agency only handled domesticated animals.
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“We tried getting animal control out there, and they’re like, they only deal with domesticated animals,” Villacis said. “And we’re like, oh shoot. OK. So, we’re kind of like the last resort.”
Officers then took matters into their own hands, removing parts of the vehicle, including the front bumper, to reach the trapped reptile, as seen in the footage.
After about 20 minutes, police managed to untangle and safely free the snake, which animal control officials identified as a 3-foot ball python.
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Hudson said she was relieved the unexpected passenger never found its way inside the vehicle while she was in it.
“I was just really happy that it didn’t, like, pop its head through the AC vent when I was driving or come in through the steering wheel,” Hudson told the outlet. “I want to let you know my car would have been lit on fire, and we’d be calling the fire department at that point.”
How the python ended up in the grille remains unclear.
The snake was unharmed and taken to the Franklin Township Animal Shelter, according to MyCentralJersey.com.
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Franklin Township Public Safety Director Lloyd Fredericks also reminded residents that releasing exotic pets into the wild is illegal and can pose a threat to native wildlife and household pets. Residents who have pet snakes and can no longer care for them should surrender it to the township animal shelter, he said.
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