Officials determined that a man found dead in a home with far more than 100 snakes — some venomous and illegal — died of a snake bite earlier this year in Charles County, Maryland.
According to News4, the man, a 49-year-old whose name was not released, died of “snake envenomation” as determined by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. His death was accidental. Officials previously stated that it was too soon to say whether the snakes were to blame for the man’s death.
Maryland Man Found Dead in Home Filled With 124 Snakes (Jan 2022)
According to News4, the victim was discovered on Jan. 19 in his Pomfret home. Officials said the snakes were already in cages when sheriff’s deputies showed up.
According to county spokeswoman Jennifer Harris, a neighbor on Raphael Drive realized the man hadn’t been seen in about a day. The neighbor knocked on the door and saw that the man had fallen through a window. He sought help by phoning 911.
When deputies finally showed up, they discovered the man unconscious and 124 snakes, including a 14-foot-long Burmese python.
Animal control officers arrived and began inspecting the large snake collection, according to Harris.
“Our chief animal control officer said in his more than 30 years of experience, he had not encountered this kind of thing before,” she said.
According to Harris, the collection included poisonous snakes that are illegal to keep in Maryland. Pythons, rattlesnakes, cobras, and black mambas were among the species discovered, according to Harris.
Animal control officers in Charles County were able to separate the non-venomous snakes. Experts were brought in to deal with the venomous snakes.
After the late man’s mother gave permission for the snakes to be taken away, a crew spent many hours removing them.
The snakes appeared to be well-cared for, according to the county spokeswoman. Officials said they believed all of the snakes had been found.
