Report -- and Photo! -- of Huge Snake In Tree Raises Alarm in South Jersey Town
By David Madden
VILLAS, N.J. (CBS) -- A snake is causing quite the stir down the shore.
In the town of Villas, Cape May County, a woman last week saw what has been described as a python eating a seagull.
The woman took a few pictures, then contacted local media outlets. That's how Lower Township police chief William Mastriana first found out about it.
"We haven't seen anything," he told KYW Newsradio today. "We've had extra patrols in the area. We've had officers go door-to-door in the four-block radius, to advise the residents of that area that we have some concerns about this reptile."
But just to be on the safe side, police are advising people to keep a close eye on kids and small pets, and to be cautious in the crawl spaces under their homes.
Animal control agents are on standby in case the snake is found. But as of this morning, no confirmed sightings since last week.
Linda Gentille, with Shore Animal Control, says if this was a python, it's probably sleeping off its meal by now, and will for as long as a month.