A 4-foot ball python found in a trash can at a Glendale park
· BehindLines newsroom
A maintenance worker found a ball python curled up inside a trash can at a park in Glendale, California, while emptying the bins, UPI reported on 4 November 2026.
According to UPI, the worker, who was emptying trash cans at Brand Park, opened one and found the snake, about four feet long. He then contacted animal rescuers. Animal control officers took charge of the reptile and brought it to Pasadena Humane to be checked for illness or injury. NBC Los Angeles says the discovery happened on a Monday morning and that an animal control officer from Pasadena Humane responded to remove the animal.
According to UPI, Pasadena Humane says the snake is resting in a temperature-controlled enclosure and sometimes soaks in a pool. NBC Los Angeles also reports that the python received veterinary exams to check for illness and injuries, without giving the results, and that it enjoyed soaks. According to both outlets, the organisation says it does not see snakes like this every day but acts quickly when it does; NBC adds that the animal needed specialised care.
What remains unknown: according to UPI and NBC Los Angeles, it is not known where the snake came from or how it ended up in the trash can. The articles also do not say what will happen to it, or whether anyone has been identified as responsible.
For context, NBC Los Angeles notes, citing the San Diego Zoo, that pythons are not venomous: they seize prey with sharp, curved teeth and then coil around it.