An Irving woman called the police on Tuesday after discovering a large python in an apartment parking lot blocking her way to her vehicle.
The snake measured over eight feet in length.
The Irving Police Department (IPD) said in a Facebook post that it had responded to the call, noting that the “mighty snake” was apparently named Ms. Bonnie. It had escaped from its home.
Officer Steve Burres was dispatched to wrangle the snake. IPD said Burres was the department’s designated “snake whisperer,” whose “hidden talent” is taking care of any wildlife-related calls that the department receives.
Body camera footage released by IPD shows the Burres catching the snake.
In the video, Burres can be heard saying, “What a beautiful snake. He is pretty. … He’s got an ungodly amount of teeth.”
He explained that pythons’ teeth are angled backward, making them difficult to pull off in the event of a bite. The department posted an image of Officer Burres holding the snake as it coiled around his arms.
Authorities did not release information about the snake’s owner or where the animal was found in Irving.
“Did you know snakes over six feet long are illegal in Irving? Due to Ms. Bonnie measuring over eight feet she will be finding a new home at a wildlife rehabilitation sanctuary,” IPD wrote in the post.
Citizens commented on IPD’s social media post, congratulating the officer for his bravery in handling the snake. Others, however, expressed fear and surprise over Ms. Bonnie’s size. Some said they were thankful that the animal was not simply killed outright.
This is not the only recent close encounter a Texas woman has had with a snake. A Silsbee resident was mowing her lawn on August 8 when a snake fell from the sky, landing on her and wrapping itself around her arm just before a hawk attacked them both, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.