Python stolen from petting zoo   

The Associated Press

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Authorities are looking for a python that was reported stolen from a petting zoo in Fort Myers.

The snake’s owner told Lee County deputies that the 9-and-a-half-foot-long female was locked in its cage Saturday night but was gone the next morning.

The snake was part of a petting zoo set up in a tent in a shopping center parking lock. The lock on the snake’s cage was cut, and a blanket covering the cage had been lifted.

Besides facing grand theft charges, state wildlife officials say the person who stole the snake could faces additional charges related to having a snake without the proper permits, which the petting zoo owner does have.

Pythons are an invasive species to Florida and have been designated a reptile of concern.

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