Timor Python Found At Zoo Atlanta

The Timor python which escaped an outdoor enclosure in the Zoo’s behind-the-scenes Conservation Breeding Center on July 9, 2016, has been found by Zoo Atlanta staff on Zoo property and safely returned to its home.

Teams at Zoo Atlanta began searching the Zoo and the Grant Park area for the snake on July 9. The animal is not venomous and did not represent a danger to humans or pets.

This animal was not housed in a public area of Zoo Atlanta but is instead part of a conservation program housed in the Zoo’s Conservation Breeding Center, which is not open to the public. While some animals use outdoor enclosures outside this center so that they may benefit from natural sunlight during the day, it is the Zoo’s policy not to house venomous snakes in any of these spaces, and additional measures will be taken to ensure that these spaces are secure.

The Timor python is a semi-arboreal snake species native to Southeast Asia. The species is shy, nonaggressive and prefers to avoid humans.

CONTACT:

Rachel Davis, Director of Communications

404.624.2812 – office

404.309.2238 – cell

rdavis@zooatlanta.org

About Zoo Atlanta

Viewed as one of the finest zoological institutions in the U.S. and a proud accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Zoo Atlanta has a mission to inspire value and preservation of wildlife through a unique mix of education and outdoor family experiences. From well-known native wildlife to critically endangered species on the brink of extinction, the Zoo offers memorable close encounters with more than 1,000 animals from around the world. The Zoo’s newest destination, Scaly Slimy Spectacular: The Amphibian and Reptile Experience, featuring more than 70 species in a 111,000 square-foot complex, opened in April 2015. Zoo collection highlights include Mei Lun and Mei Huan, the only giant panda twins in the U.S.; North America’s largest zoological collection of great apes; and a global center of excellence for the care and study of reptiles and amphibians. Up-close-and-personal animal experiences include behind-the-scenes Wild Encounters with African elephants, Aldabra giant tortoises, giant pandas, lemurs, Sumatran tigers and warthogs. Zoo Atlanta is open daily with the exceptions of Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Keeper talks, interactive wildlife shows, education programs and special events run year-round. For more information, visit zooatlanta.org or call 404.624.WILD.