Australian police charge man for dumping pythons in Sydney

The 2.5-metre (8.2-foot) pet pythons escaped after the man took them from a secure enclosure and dumped them in a box outside a residence on Oct. 21 in what police said in a statement was "a domestic related incident".

The owner of the snakes – a 25-year-old woman – reported the snakes missing to police, who charged the man with damaging property. He was due in court on Saturday.

According to the Guardian Australia news site, Sydney residents have been searching city streets to try to rescue the pet pythons, named Mango and Bagel, allegedly dumped in anger by the man, who was the woman's ex-boyfriend.