11-foot python run over by train in southern Illinois

A python roaming loose in southern Illinois had to be euthanized after it was run over by a train.

Deputies with the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office responded to Sims, Illinois, and located the 11-foot-long snake in a ditch near the railroad track.

After consulting with a veterinarian about the snake’s injuries, the deputies euthanized the snake on the scene.

Pythons are, of course, not native to Illinois and was probably a pet that was released by its owner or escaped. In the state of Illinois, some exotic reptiles, including larger Burmese pythons, have been found in court to be illegal to own under the Illinois Dangerous Animals Act.