Sick 20-Foot Python Found Ditched In Los Angeles Apartment Dumpster

A woman made a shocking discovery in the dumpster of a Los Angeles apartment building — a massive 20-foot python — which is now recovering at a rescue facility.

According to KTLA, Teresa Sanchez had just parked in the garage of her downtown Los Angeles apartment complex on Tuesday, Aug. 5, when she spotted what she thought was a toy snake resting on top of a dumpster.

“At first, I thought it was maybe a stuffed animal,” Sanchez recalled. “Then I’m like, ‘Who would leave such a huge stuffed animal?’ And then as I got closer, it looked realistic, so I thought it was maybe taxidermy. And then it moved.”

Her disbelief only grew. “I couldn’t believe it. I was like, ‘Am I in Florida? What’s going on here?'”

Sanchez and a concerned neighbor began calling for help, worried about both the safety of pets and children in the building — and the snake itself.

“It was sick,” one bystander told the outlet. “Its mouth was swollen and it couldn’t open its mouth.”

Animal control, police, and several animal removal services reportedly declined to take the case or suggested euthanizing the reptile, which had been placed inside a plastic bin before being discarded in the trash.

Determined to find a humane solution, Sanchez reached out to Joseph Hart of SoCal Reptile Hunter, who agreed to remove and rehabilitate the animal.

Video shows Hart climbing into the dumpster and carefully retrieving the python. On Instagram, he revealed the snake is a female now named Apples.

“We named her Apples, she’s in great care now,” Hart commented on KTLA’s page. “Going to get her the medicine and care she needs to fully recover!”

Under Los Angeles law, owners of snakes or other exotic animals must have a city-issued permit to legally keep them.

Hart, who runs the Reptile Hunter program, offering animal removal, educational events, and wildlife advocacy, is currently fundraising for Apples’ medical care and a proper enclosure.

“Apples is receiving the medical care, treatment, and compassion she deserves!” he shared. “We’ll be posting updates as she heals. Donations will go directly toward her care, medication, and a properly sized enclosure for her 20-foot frame.”

“Thank you to everyone who helped make sure she was rescued ❤️🐍,” Hart added.