An African rock python got caught at a Miami turkey farm with a fresh-caught bird in its gullet because the meal made it too big to slither through a fence.
Felix Azquz found the snake stuck in the fence when he came to feed his turkeys and chickens, the Miami Herald reported. An animal-control officer captured the python, named it Goblin and took it to the Sense of Wonder Nature Center and Trail.
Capt. Al Cruz, head of the Miami-Dade anti-venin unit, described the snake as aggressive and said for that reason it is being handed over to a zoo.
"It launches at everything that tries to come near it," Cruz said.
Experts are unsure of the source of the snake, since African rock pythons are not usually sold in pet shops. Cruz said a 16-foot African rock was found three years ago a few blocks from Azquz's business.
A few days ago, a Burmese python -- an exotic species that has invaded South Florida -- was discovered in Miami Gardens, where it is believed to have eaten a domestic cat.
© Copyright 2005 by United Press International
