RADNOR TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — Police in Delaware County found themselves in a literal “snake in the grass” situation, after a 4-foot-long python was found near a park earlier this week.
In a Facebook post Tuesday evening, Radnor Township police say they found the ball python near Strathmore and Conestoga roads earlier this week — just a block away from Clem Macrone Park. They asked for the public’s help to find the snake’s owner.
John Child lives just a few blocks away from where the snake was found and was taken by surprise when he got the news.
“I thought there was a lunatic out there who just released [it]. Probably had a little bitty python and it got too big for him,” he suggested.
His wife, Virginia, said she felt a little uneasy when she learned about the snake.
“We have a lot of children here so it’s very unsafe,” she said. “They could slither into any place in the park and kids can roam into places that they shouldn’t be.”
The park is home to a playground and baseball field, as well as tennis and basketball courts, and usually teems with kids. John Klauss, who works in maintenance at the park, said he’ll be sure to let parents know about the python found on the premises.
“I will say something and make people aware of it,” he said. “I definitely did not want to be by it, but it’s a pretty cool thing in nature.”
Kids are not the only ones in harm's way, according to Virginia Child. “It’s dangerous for pets.”
John Child, however, said he isn’t worried about any more potential pythons in the area. “I’m too big to be eaten by a python.”