A Wisconsin motorist was having car trouble when he pulled over to find a slithering surprise.
Chris Nguyen opened the hood of his mother’s SUV. Inside, he found a 4-foot-long ball python.
Police in Omro responded. They tried to wriggle the snake free and called Menasha snake rescuer Steve Keller for help.
WLUK-TV reports it took hours to free the snake, which had wrapped itself around the engine.
The snake’s owner said it had been missing for more than a month. It’s illegal to have such a snake in Omro, so the owner was fined $313.
Police say they’ll dismiss the ticket if the owner pays for the SUV’s damages, which fittingly include a displaced serpentine belt.
Keller says he’ll adopt the python.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.