Burmese python confiscated from owner near Coney Island boardwalk, officials say

A Burmese python was confiscated near the Coney Island boardwalk in July, New York state officials say.

The New York State Department on Environmental Conservation said in a release Friday that an environmental conservation police officer was near the Riegelmann Boardwalk on July 12 when he saw about a dozen people, including children, crowded around a man who was showing off two snakes, including a ball python that was around his neck.

The officer asked the man about the snakes, and the man said the larger snake was a Burmese python that he owned, officials say.

The man was given a ticket and the snake was confiscated because it is illegal to own a Burmese python in New York state.

The snake was taken to the Nassau County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to be cared for.

State officials did not provide the length of the snake, but a photo posted on Facebook shows two officers handling it.

The DEC says Burmese pythons pose a danger to people and can severely impact native wildlife populations if they are let loose.

Another Burmese python measuring 8 feet long was recently captured in Freehold, New Jersey. Officials believe that snake had been kept as a pet and was released on purpose.