An Australian woman has been reunited with two pet pythons almost a month after they were allegedly dumped by her ex.
The two domesticated pythons – named Mango and Bagel – were reported missing more than three weeks ago.
The 25-year-old owner was left distraught after the snakes were discarded in a street in Coogee, a Sydney suburb.
The woman, who does not wish to be named, also made an appeal on Facebook earlier in October, requesting her neighbours to help locate the two reptiles.
She said the snakes were “dumped” by her ex-partner after they broke up.
The 25-year-old man allegedly damaged two snake enclosures before placing them in an unsecured box on Coogee’s Mount Street, from where they disappeared.
While Bagel was found on 31 October, a week after the pythons went missing, the second snake was discovered hiding under a rock near a Coogee home on Monday.
“I wanted to share the incredible news that, thanks to the outstanding support of the community and the diligent work of the local police and Wires [Australian Wildlife Rescue Organisation], my two precious pythons have been safely returned to me,” wrote the owner on Facebook.
“I can’t express how grateful I am for the overwhelming response and assistance I received during this time. Your kindness, concern, and willingness to help were truly heartwarming.”
“I want to extend my deepest appreciation to each and every one of you who shared my post, kept an eye out, and offered words of encouragement. Your collective effort made all the difference,” she wrote.
“Thank you once again for being there for me and my scaly babies. Your kindness has touched my heart, and I’m so grateful to have such an incredible network of kind faces. Here’s to a happy reunion and to the power of community.”
Earlier, the woman’s former partner was charged with two counts of destroying or damaging property worth less than AUD$2,000 (£1,040) in relation to the snakes’ disappearance after the woman accused him of releasing them.
“My sh**** ex threw a tantrum when I broke up with him and dumped my lovely hand-reared pet pythons out in a fit of anger,” she had earlier posted on a Facebook local community page, reported News.com.au.
“He dumped them on Mount St. Coogee. The snakes are domesticated and won’t survive in the wild.”
The snakes were “quite sweet and don’t bite”, said the woman. “I’m really scared for their safety, so please if anyone has seen them let me know.”
“Captive-bred and raised animals do not thrive in the wild,” wildlife expert Sam Chatfield told Yahoo. “They don’t have the awareness of the dangers the wild presents. The likelihood they get killed is extremely high.”
