Wisconsin couple find mystery python lurking under porch

Sept. 26 (UPI) -- A Wisconsin couple received a shock when they looked under their back porch and discovered a 4-foot ball python curled up in the dirt.

Gary Lee said he initially thought he spotted a toy snake under the porch in the Riverwest neighborhood of Milwaukee, but he called his wife, Chandra Lee, to come take a look when he spotted the creature's eyes moving.

The couple's landlord contacted neighbor Ian King to ask if he owned the snake, but he was just as surprised by the reptile's presence.

Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission officers were summoned to the scene and took the ball python into custody.

It was unclear whether the snake was a pet that escaped or was abandoned by its owner.

An escaped python in Wisconsin made headlines earlier in September when it slipped out of its tank at Fond du Lac High School and was on the loose inside the building for about a week before being recaptured.