Animal control officers in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough have entered Day two of “snake watch,” as the borough described an ongoing situation with an enormous pet python still at large in the Meadow Lakes area as of Wednesday.
Residents near West Mallard Lane are advised to keep a close eye on small pets and children.
The snake’s owner says he’s gone door-to-door warning neighbors. And with good reason: David Hyde said the 17-foot, 100-pound Burmese python — named Sam — is capable of eating two 25-pound rabbits in one meal.
“They’re taking it more seriously as a public safety issue than they are as a lost pet,” Hyde said in a phone interview. “Most of ’em don’t like snakes, just flat out, and they can’t understand why anybody would have one, and they would just as soon he died in the woods somewhere.”
Nine years ago, Sam was an unwanted pet when Hyde adopted the snake. Now, Hyde is worried.
“Yeah, a little. He’s probably either found a comfortable, safe-feeling spot and he’s OK, or he’s frozen to death, and there’s not a whole bunch I can do about either one, because there’s about two million places he could hide,” Hyde said.
Anyone who sees a 17-foot, 100-pound yellow-and-white albino Burmese python in Meadow Lakes — or, really, any snake of that size if it’s outside and unrestrained — is asked to call 911 or Mat-Su Animal Care at 761-7501.
Casey Grove is the host of Alaska News Nightly and a general assignment reporter at Alaska Public Media with an emphasis on crime and courts. Reach him at cgrove@alaskapublic.org.
