KANAGAWA (TR) – Police in Kawasaki City are urging residents to remain vigilant after two massive pythons escaped from a local apartment early on Thursday, reports NHK (Aug. 13).
According to the Tama Police Station, a male company employee contacted authorities at around 5:00 a.m. to report that his pet snakes had vanished. The man had been keeping the reptiles in a cage inside his third-floor apartment in Tama Ward’s Sugebanba area.
According to police, the owner last saw the snakes inside their wooden enclosure at around 9:00 p.m. the previous night. However, when he checked the cage at 2:00 a.m., they were gone.
Thick as a 500-milliliter plastic bottle
Investigators revealed that while the cage featured a sliding door, the owner had failed to lock it. Furthermore, a screen door leading to the apartment’s balcony had been left open, allowing the reptiles to escape outdoors through a narrow gap.
The missing snakes are identified as D’Albertis pythons — also known as white-lipped pythons. One is a two-year-old male and the other is a four-year-old female. Both measure approximately 2 meters in length and are dark in color. They are about as thick as a 500-milliliter plastic bottle.
“I’ve strictly warned my children”
While they are not venomous and are not designated as “specified dangerous animals” under Japanese law, their escape has sparked anxiety in the neighborhood.
A search team of about 30 police officers and firefighters is currently scouring the area. The apartment is located about one kilometer south of JR Inadazutsumi Station in a quiet residential district dotted with kindergartens and high schools.
“I heard from a neighbor that snakes are on the loose. There are a lot of kids in this area, so I hope they are found soon,” a 34-year-old local father said. “I’ve strictly warned my children not to go anywhere near anything long and snake-like.”
Reptile house
Tsuyoshi Shirawa, director of the iZoo reptile zoo in Shizuoka Prefecture, urged the public to remain calm, noting there are no known cases of the species causing fatal injuries to humans.
“They are not the type to move around quickly, so they likely haven’t gone far,” Shirawa said. “They are nocturnal and prefer dark environments, so I imagine they are curled up in a dark, narrow space. Neighbors may be anxious, but their lives are not in danger.”
However, the expert issued a clear warning to anyone who crosses their path: “If you touch them, they may get startled and bite. If you find them, do not touch them, and immediately call the police.”
While police noted that the species is non-venomous, their sheer size has prompted authorities to issue a public warning. Officers are currently scouring the neighborhood for the slithering fugitives.
