Royal python found loose in Amsterdam apartment hallway
A royal python was found loose in the hallway of a residential building in Amsterdam-Oost on Thursday morning, prompting a police response and a call for the owner to come forward, NOS reports.
According to the Amsterdam police, residents of the apartment discovered the non-venomous snake and immediately alerted authorities. The animal’s origin was unknown to the occupants.
An officer trained in handling reptiles responded to the scene with a colleague. The police reported that the snake was captured “without harm to people or nature.”
The royal python—also known as a ball python—is believed to have escaped from a terrarium. After its capture, it was handed over to the local animal ambulance service. The police are now asking the owner to come forward.
A police spokesperson from Gaasperdam noted that a permit is not required to keep a royal python in the Netherlands. However, anyone holding the snake in captivity must be able to provide proof of its origin.
While royal pythons are not venomous, they are constrictors and can kill by suffocation. Nonetheless, the species is known to adapt well to human interaction, allegedly making it unlikely to pose a threat in most cases.
