In a surprising twist, a 13-foot Burmese python was seized from a New York home in August after its owner admitted he was unprepared for the snake’s rapid growth. The dramatic rescue unfolded when the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) received a complaint about a “subject with a large snake that the complainant didn’t believe to be legal.”

Jeff Hull, an Environmental Conservation Police Officer (ECO), identified the snake from a photograph, noting its distinctive arrow-like head pattern. As a species prohibited in New York without the proper permits, the python was in a precarious situation.

Upon arrival at the home, Officer Hull discovered the hefty snake, weighing 80 pounds and measuring a staggering 13 feet, 2 inches, cramped in a tank barely 4 to 5 feet long. Despite the cramped quarters, the reptile was healthy.

The unnamed owner confessed that he hadn’t anticipated how quickly the python would grow and realized he could no longer care for it. As a result, he received citations for possessing wildlife without a permit, and the python was safely removed and donated to the Fort Rickey Discovery Zoo in Rome, N.Y., which has the necessary permits to care for it.

Burmese pythons, native to India, lower China, and the Malay Peninsula, are classified as an invasive species in Florida, where they pose significant ecological threats. Notably, the largest Burmese python ever captured in Florida stretched an impressive 18 feet, although most adults average between 6 to 9 feet.