Video shows 8-foot python pulled from N.J. backyard after eating a possum

A massive 8-foot python was found in a New Jersey backyard. 

The 40-pound snake is now safely back in a cage, but not before it gave residents in Freehold a scare. 

The snake was spotted last week in the backyard of Leslie and Edward Daley. It was slithering slowly, with a full belly. 

"I was watering my flowers last Friday around 4 and I saw something yellow moving very slowly across the front of my shed. And then his tail was 8 feet behind him," Freehold resident Leslie Daley said. 

Catching the Burmese python got tricky when it crawled under a shed. A local contractor had to remove the flooring and, on Sunday, Scott Crawford with the Monmouth County SPCA gently pulled the snake to safety. 

"At that point, you now, I was safe to grab the head, pick him up, and get him into a transport carrier," Crawford said. 

X-rays revealed the python had eaten a large possum, explaining its full belly. 

Officials believe the snake was someone's pet and was likely released on purpose. 

"Obviously, this was an incredibly stressful event for this animal. This is not a native species to New Jersey. So it was likely someone's pet," Dr. Samantha Mammen of the Monmouth County SPCA said. 

Animal experts say exotic pets do not belong in the wild, and releasing them puts not only the animal itself in danger, but also nearby domestic pets. 

"If you are the owner of an animal like this and you've decided you cannot take care of it anymore, reach out to your local shelter," Crawford said. 

A snake expert with the proper reptile permits and housing is now caring for the python.