Canadian police find 40 'distressed' ball pythons in Ontario motel room bins
A manager at the motel claimed the animals belonged to a couple who had checked into the room for one night
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Canadian animal welfare officers have rescued 40 distressed pythons from a motel room where they were being improperly held in plastic storage bins.
Police found the snakes, which ranged in length from 30cm to 137cm (1ft to 4-1/ft), in a motel in Brantford, a city about 6 miles south-west of Toronto.
A manager at the motel claimed the animals belonged to a couple who had checked into the room for one night and were out when police seized the animals on Thursday evening.
Pythons are not legal for home ownership in Brantford, according to the city's animal control bylaws.
"The snakes were not being suitably cared for and were in distress. The anxious officers called the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals who attended and took 40 pythons into their care," local police said in a statement.
The snakes are expected to be fine, they said. No one at the Brantford police or at the SPCA were available for comment.
Last week, two young boys in Eastern Canada died after a 13-foot (3.96-metre), 100-lb (45-kg) python apparently attacked them in their sleep. An autopsy confirmed the two died of asphyxiation.
Additional reporting by Associated Press
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments