New Jersey Police Rescue 3-Foot Python From Woman's Car Grille
Bodycam footage captured the moment officers dismantled a vehicle to free a trapped reptile.
A New Jersey woman discovered a 3-foot python lodged in her car's front grille on September 14, after returning home from a wheel alignment service. The incident prompted Franklin Township police to intervene and safely remove the snake.
Body camera footage shows officers inspecting the vehicle and attempting to extricate the reptile. According to Officer Lisseth Villacis, the department initially contacted animal control, but the agency stated they only handle domesticated animals, leaving the police as the primary responders.
After approximately 20 minutes, police successfully freed the snake, identified by animal control officials as a ball python. The woman expressed relief that the snake had not entered the car's interior while she was driving.
How the python came to be in the car's grille remains unknown. The snake was unharmed and subsequently transferred to the Franklin Township Animal Shelter. Franklin Township Public Safety Director Lloyd Fredericks reminded residents that releasing exotic pets into the wild is illegal and can endanger native wildlife and domestic animals. He advised that individuals unable to care for pet snakes should surrender them to the township animal shelter.