The 12-foot Burmese python housed illegally in Des Plaines could find itself on display at a Wisconsin Dells reptile zoo next week, police and an animal welfare group said Wednesday.
Its owner, Charles Bauer, has decided to give up the snake to comply with state law, which prohibits constricting snakes longer than 8 feet from being kept as pets without a license.
Authorities had given Bauer until Wednesday to sell, donate or kill the animal.
Des Plaines police Sgt. Robert Schultz said Bauer told them early Wednesday that he had given the snake to the Chicago Herpetological Society. The group’s adoption coordinator, Tonya Maris, said her husband is urging her to keep the male python but that she hasn’t ruled out turning it over to the Serpent Safari Reptile Zoo in the Wisconsin Dells.
“You never know,” she said, “maybe I’ll fall in love with him.”
Police stumbled upon the snake Monday during an unrelated domestic call to the apartment Bauer shared with his girlfriend at 1124 S. Arnold Ct., and initially ordered him to get rid of it by Tuesday morning, Schultz said. Because Bauer was cooperative, Schultz said the department decided to extend the deadline another day while he made arrangements.
Schultz said the snake was given to Bauer several years ago.
