A South Carolina woman woke to find a snake behind her toilet.
The snake wasn’t her pet. She had never seen that reptile in her life. She didn’t know where it came from, what kind of snake it was or even how it could have possibly entered her home. And so around 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5, the woman’s apartment complex heard a loud scream for help, according to local publication The State.
The Columbia resident first called her friend, and together they decided the best course of action was to contact law enforcement. Deputy Shannon Huffman, who responded to the call and had experience with many animals, “knew exactly what to do,” the sheriff’s department said.
“This was definitely a unique call for service for us,” Master Deputy Alexandra Salrin told The State.
While police are often contacted about animal issues, situations with such exotic animals are rare. Still, law enforcement is trained to confront a wide range of circumstances.
The snake was effectively “wrangled” into a pillowcase. Neither the snake nor the woman was hurt, and the only damage was flooding in the bathroom — though it’s not clear how the snake caused it.
“We were able to provide a solution to the resident quickly and save the snake’s life,” Salrin said.
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The snake was presumed to be someone’s pet due to its sheer size, law enforcement said, though no specific information about its length has released. No one has reached out to claim the snake yet. How the snake entered the woman’s apartment is still unclear to police.
One of the sheriff department’s operations deputies has taken the snake in while they help it find a permanent home.
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