Officers at Sonic’s Georgia location fled the restaurant earlier this month when they found something unexpected behind the deep fryer – and it wasn’t the remains of some old children.
Brunswick Daily News reported that all staff were frightened by a snake. They left the store and called the cops, describing what they thought was a rattle, which is among the venomous snakes known to call Georgia home.
Lieutenant Matthew Wilson of the Brunswick Police Department told the paper that it was in fact a 3.5-foot-long ball python, a non-venomous snake.
“I finally caught him with a broomstick,” Wilson told the Daily News. “I just took him where I could pin his head. Then I put it in a paper bag and took it out.
Wilson said he suspected the restaurant had left its back door open and the snake had crept in for the same reason as the customers: it was hungry and thirsty.
Wilson, who has his own ball python, said Sonic the Snake has a new home with a friend who loves snakes.
There was a detention on Sonic Drive-In on Saturday, but not the type police are usually called to do. https://t.co/x4MPhhdt8x
– The Brunswick News (@Brunswick_News) May 25, 2022
Immon Leonard, an invasive species biologist with Georgia’s Ministry of Natural Resources, told the Associated Press that snakes are often an impulse purchase that some buyers later regret.
“Maybe someone just didn’t think about the consequences of a big snake as a pet,” Leonard told the AP. “Some people regret it later and just let it go. It’s definitely irresponsible. “
People who can no longer care for a domestic snake should contact a local reptile rescue service or animal shelter for advice, rather than releasing them into the wild. In addition to driving local low-paid and undervalued fast food workers crazy, released snakes and other pets can lead to invasive species problems.
Zoocheck, a Canada-based wildlife conservation group, also noted that many of these once-beloved pets often face a grim fate.
“Most of these animals are stressed, physically exhausted and unable to survive,” Zoocheck said on his website. “Most die of starvation, cold or predation.
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