Captured albino python not the 'cat-eating monster' Oklahoma City community thought

An albino python terrorizing an Oklahoma City community for months has finally been captured. It turns out the serpent wasn't quite as big and scary as initially thought.

The pet python had been on the loose near the Burntwood mobile home community for about six months, with one animal expert estimating it to be 13 feet long. With an elementary school nearby, residents were voicing concerns over safety and reporting missing cats in the area, theorizing that the snake was to blame.

A homeowner in the mobile home park found the snake on Wednesday morning and then property management called Oklahoma Exotics Rescue & Sanctuary for help, the organization posted on Facebook.

The python was actually about 8 feet long, sanctuary co-owner Michael Wilkins told USA TODAY on Thursday.

And contrary to resident fears and the suspicions of an animal expert hired to find the snake, it doesn't appear that it has been eating any area cats, or much of anything for that matter, said Wilkins, who also owns Snakes Alive Exotics Rescue and Sanctuary.

"This guy hasn't eaten anything," he said.

Scary:A 13-foot albino python is terrorizing an Oklahoma City community

Previous reports about the snake were incorrect, snake expert says

Property management initially hired Trevor Bounds of Red Beard Wildlife Solutions to inspect some homes and get more information on the snake. 

Residents showed him photos from months ago and in the photos, the snake appeared to be much smaller, he told USA TODAY in early October. 

People in the neighborhood told him cats began disappearing in the area around the time the snake was spotted, he said.

But the snake is not the “cat-eating monster that he was made out to be,” Wilkins told USA TODAY.

Wilkins said the python hasn't eaten anything since it got out and that snakes can go months between feedings as long as they have access to water.

Previous efforts to capture the python

Bounds had been hired to find the snake, which had made a home for itself underneath one mobile home in particular.

The home had a leaky pipe problem, and water from the leaky pipes paired with the crawlspace underneath the home made it a perfect habitat for the creature, he said.

"It's got food, water, shelter," Bounds said in early October.

Bounds had planned to set up a funnel-style trap around the home to catch the snake, as well install a 24-hour live feed to keep an eye on it once repairs were made to the home.

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How was the snake captured?

One resident told KFOR-TV that the snake was found under the same home where it was believed to be living.

A neighbor left their home around 2 a.m. Wednesday morning and grabbed the snake, the outlet reported. They then put the snake in a hamper, sealed it with duct tape, and left it in front of their home until wildlife officials could respond.

Wilkins told the outlet that the snake likely wouldn’t have lasted past this weekend because temperatures are getting colder.

He also said the snake was raised in captivity, so it isn’t as dangerous as those raised in the wild. However, the snake’s ability to constrict prey is so strong that it could have posed a threat, he said.

He plans to give the snake antibiotics and rehabilitation time, and said that snake that had everyone living in fear was also in danger himself.

Wilkins said anyone who can’t take care of their exotic pets can reach Oklahoma Exotics Rescue and Sanctuary at 405-915-5356 or okexotics@oklahomarescue.com.