Large Python That Has Been Eating Port St. Lucie, FL Neighborhood's Cats Captured By Cops

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Cats have been disappearing in one Port St. Lucie neighborhood so when Sergeant John Holman was called to the 600 block of SE Faith Terrace Friday morning for a report of a deceased cat, he discovered what the culprit was.

Hidden inside some bushes, Sgt. Holman spotted a 12-foot long 120-pound Burmese Python.

Neighbors believe the large snake has been eating the cats.

The sergeant called for backup to help get the large snake from the brush.

With the help of backup, officers were able to extricate the snake, Sabol said. Four snakes, including the Burmese python, were added to the state’s no-import list in 2012.

Despite being included on the list in 2012, plus a cold-weather freeze in January 2013 that killed many snakes, pythons remain a serious threat and getting rid of them has proven difficult. A Burmese python can lay between 20-80 eggs each spring.