Huge 12ft python slithers down street before police manage to catch it

MASSIVE 12ft python slithers down street in the Black Country before three police manage to catch it

A huge 12ft python was seen slithering down a street in the Black Country today before three police officers managed to catch it.

Officers were called after a shocked resident spotted the huge reptile in Harwood Street, West Bromwich, at around 1.30am.

Police arrived to discover the yellow python – one of world’s biggest snakes which are native to Southeast Asia – in the middle of the road.

But with the RSPCA unable to attend due to the time of the call, it took three brave response officers to step in to rescue it.

After putting a bag over its head and ushering it into a police van, the slippery suspect was taken to a vets to be checked over.

Officers were called after a shocked resident spotted the huge reptile in Harwood Street, West Bromwich, at around 1.30am

A West Midlands Police spokesperson said: ‘Our officers are not easily rattled when it comes to responding to unusual calls as we deal with a huge variety of incidents.

‘Just after 1.30am this morning we received a call from a member of the public that a 12 foot yellow python was slithering on Harwood Street, West Bromwich.

‘While RSPCA colleagues would usually handle this situation they were not able to attend due to the time of the call so some of our brave response officers stepped in.

‘We managed to safely rescue the snake and get it into our van without too many slips and slides.

‘The snake was then transferred to a nearby veterinary hospital for overnight care.’

Yellow Burmese pythons can grow up to 16ft (5m) long and mainly eat birds and mammals, but also amphibians and reptiles.

Police arrived to discover the yellow python – one of world’s biggest snakes which are native to Southeast Asia – in the middle of the road

It is non-venomous and kills its prey with sharp teeth before wrapping its body around the animal to kill it through constriction.

After the force shared images of the rescue on social media, local residents branded it a ‘real-life nightmare.’

The hair-raising encounter is not the first time West Midlands Police officers have had to rescue a snake in recent months.

Back in June, officers on patrol were left shocked to come across a boa constrictor in Aston, Birmingham.

Three officers bravely ushered the reptile into a pillow case with the help of a broom at the side of the road.

Just days later, another huge snake was spotted emerging from a shop in the same part of Birmingham.

It was caught by staff at a nearby butchers who lured it into a pipe before placing it into a plastic container.

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