Python Runs Loose in Apartment for Days—'My Cat Was Acting Strangely'

A royal python had been lurking in the closet of a French woman's apartment for two days before she finally noticed it slithering toward her front door on Sunday.

"I immediately understood that this snake had been in my apartment for two days, because my cat was acting strangely," the woman named Alexandra told French newspaper Midi Libre. "The snake had wedged itself under my cupboard, then moved against the front door. I was very, very scared."

Firefighters were called to the property to remove the serpent.

Royal pythons, also known as ball pythons, are a snake species native to West and Central Africa.

It is not clear how the snake came to be slithering around the French home, as the species is not endemic to the country. However, it is most likely to be a pet that escaped from its owner. Or it may have escaped from a local zoo or reptile facility.

Luckily, these snakes are not venomous, meaning they pose very little danger to humans.

As the python was being removed from the home, it seemed rather calm, Midi Libre reported. However, the cat did still appear quite agitated, and it was later noticed that the cat had been bitten by the reptile.

The homeowner was shocked that she had managed to live in the apartment for two days without even noticing the unwelcome guest.

"Do you realize? I slept with a python loose in the apartment for two nights without knowing it!" Alexandra told the news outlet.

The snake was sent to local wildlife rescue association SOS Reptiles to be looked over, the news outlet reported.

In countries were snakes are native, it is not unusual for them to be found occasionally lurking in properties. Snakes like to find dark, secluded areas to hide, which is likely why this python made its way into the closet.

It is not certain how big the snake was, but the species is the smallest of the African pythons, reaching a maximum length of 71 inches. This snake was not a danger to the woman or her cat, but larger pythons may have tried to eat the cat.

The snakes kill prey by constriction, meaning they coil around an animal until it suffocates, before swallowing it whole. Smaller pythons like this usually feed on smaller animals like rodents and birds.

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