Missouri man kills 160-pound python terrorizing neighborhood
JONESBURG, Mo. -- A giant snake has finally been killed in eastern Missouri's Warren County after terrifying a neighborhood for several days.
KTVI-TV reports that the nearly 15-foot-long, 160-pound Burmese python was fatally shot about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday in a rural area of the county, about 50 miles west of St. Louis.
Neighbors believe the snake was responsible for killing and eating dogs and chickens, CBS affiliate KMOV reported.
Early Tuesday, Pauline Horstdaniel was awakened by her barking dog and saw the snake. She called her father-in-law, who used a shotgun to kill it.
Neighbors told the Warren County Record they believe the owner could not handle the snake and let it loose.
Burmese pythons are not native to Missouri but can be purchased as exotic pets. A Missouri Department of Conservation official says owners have been known to dump them in the wild when they get too big to handle.