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

A woman in Los Angeles found a 20-foot-long python in the dumpster of her apartment building. Luckily, the snake is now safe and recovering at a rescue center.

According to KTLA, Teresa Sanchez had just pulled into her garage at a downtown LA apartment complex on Tuesday, August 5, when she saw what she thought was a toy snake on top of a dumpster.

“At first, I thought it was maybe a stuffed animal,” Sanchez said. “Then I wondered, ‘Who would leave such a huge stuffed animal?’ But as I got closer, it looked real… and then it moved.”

Sanchez was shocked. “I couldn’t believe it. I was like, ‘Am I in Florida? What’s going on here?’”

Worried about the snake and the safety of pets and children in the building, Sanchez and a neighbor called for help. The snake appeared sick, with a swollen mouth that it couldn’t open.

Many animal control and removal services refused to take the snake or said they would have to euthanize it. The snake had been put in a plastic bin and thrown away in the trash.

Sanchez wanted someone who cared about animals to rescue the snake. She contacted Joseph Hart from SoCal Reptile Hunter, who agreed to remove the python and help it recover.

Video footage shows Hart climbing into the dumpster to grab the snake. He later shared on Instagram that the female python has been named Apples.

“We named her Apples. She’s in great care now,” Hart wrote. “She’s getting the medicine and treatment she needs to fully recover!”

Under Los Angeles law, anyone who owns snakes or other exotic animals must have a city permit.

Hart, who teaches programs about wild reptiles and helps with animal rescues, is now raising funds for Apples’ medical care and a proper enclosure.

“Apples is receiving the care, treatment, and compassion she deserves! Donations will go directly toward her medicine and a large enclosure fit for a 20-foot snake,” Hart said. “Thank you to everyone who helped make sure she was rescued ❤️🐍.”