JORDAN, N.Y. -- Diana Sleiertin was devastated when she came home Monday afternoon to find two of her reptiles missing. Someone, she says, intentionally let them out, jamming their cages open with rocks and logs so that a 16-inch iguana and a 14-foot snake could slither away.
"I came home and pretty much all the bungees had just been sliced. The bungees and the straps were just sliced all the way across," said Sleiertin.
Dante is his name. He's a regular at parties and in classrooms and is no stranger to little people.
"This is an animal that children look forward to seeing at our educational events, at festivals, things like that," said Sleiertin.
That fact can ease minds, considering how his mammoth size can be intimidating. But Sleiertin says people are more likely to be attacked by a dog than a snake. So if anyone runs into him, they need not worry. She simply asks that you don't poke or provoke him.
A 14-foot, 80-pound Burmese python is loose in the Jordan-Elbridge area. MaxMan Reptile Rescue says the snake was intentionally released from its outdoor cage on Monday. Now they're asking for help bringing Dante back home. Our Joleene Des Rosiers has more.
"Please don't hurt him. He does not need to be beaten to death with a shovel or run over with a bulldozer," Sleiertin said.
Her neighbors are keeping their eyes open. Mary Vincent says she'll let Diana know if she spots him.
“What if you encounter the snake?” our reporter asked.
"I go the other way!" laughed Vincent.
Sleiertin says just a few weeks ago, one of her tortoises escaped from its cage. It did return home safely. At that time she thought it was an accident, but now she's having second thoughts.
"We, at that time, had suspected that she pushed her way under the enclosure, knocking some rocks over. But I now question if that is actually what happened, or if this was someone's first attempt at releasing our animals," Sleiertin said.
"My husband goes up around in his scooter....wheelchair. But he gets in his scooter. He checked two weeks ago for the turtle that she lost," Vincent said.
Sleiertin says the snake more than likely slipped into the canal and will feed off beavers and muskrats. But once the cold weather hits, she says Dante will not survive.
Sleiertin is asking anyone along the Old Erie Canal to keep an eye out for Dante. Sleiertin can be reached at (315) 558-1261.