Man Imprisoned After More Than 300 Pythons Found in His Home

A man in China who kept hundreds of pythons in his apartment and bred them was deprived of his liberty by court order. During inspections carried out by law enforcement agencies, more than 300 snakes were found in his home.

The incident began in Taizhou city, Zhejiang province. In the spring of 2024, local residents found an unusual reptile at the foot of a mountain and notified the authorities. Specialists identified it as a python and noted that this species does not occur naturally in the region.

Following this, investigators began a search based on the assumption that the snake might have escaped from somewhere. Since pythons require specific temperature and humidity, law enforcement analyzed apartments with high electricity consumption.

As a result of the investigations, a person surnamed Guo was identified as the primary suspect. Surveillance revealed that white mice were regularly brought into his home. According to experts, such feed is primarily purchased for snakes.

When police conducted a search of the apartment, they encountered an astonishing sight. Part of the apartment was almost entirely adapted for snakes, with hundreds of pythons kept in plastic containers.

According to calculations, a total of 309 pythons were confiscated from the house. They were subsequently handed over to specialized institutions.

In court, the suspect did not hide his long-standing interest in snakes. He stated that he first bought four pythons in 2014 and later engaged in breeding them.

During the investigation, it was also revealed that he and his partners had illegally sold at least 80 pythons. Two other individuals were also held accountable as part of the case.

According to official data, a total of 436 pythons were identified in this criminal case. Experts estimate their total value at over 30 million yuan.