An illegally owned albino Burmese python was moved from a New York household to a local zoo last month after the owner realized the snake was too big and untenable.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation seized the snake on Aug. 28, the agency said in a Facebook post Tuesday, following a complaint by someone who didn’t think the snake was legally owned.

It was in good health, weighing 80 pounds and stretching 13 feet 2 inches, but the owner had only a 4- to 5-foot tank to contain the reptile, officials said.

While Burmese pythons are legal in New York with a permit, the owner, Mike Stone, didn’t have one, and he was written up for possessing dangerous wildlife without the right pass. He told DEC officers he didn’t realize how quickly it would grow.

The python was relocated to the Fort Rickey Discovery Zoo in Rome, New York. The facility, which does have a python permit, is located 20 minutes northwest of the snake’s previous home of New Hartford, New York, according to The Associated Press.

The zoo renamed the female python Mango after her yellow and white color. She was moved to the snake enclosure, and zoo officials said in a post on Facebook that they plan to expand her exhibit to “suit her growing needs.”

Burmese pythons tend to grow up to 16 feet, according to Britannica.com.

Zoo officials said in a comment that Mango was “a beloved part of her owners family,” that they “spent a lot of time handling her” and that overall she is a “gentle giant.”

Mr. Stone had called her Bella and wrote on the zoo’s post that he “could not be happier with where she ended up.”

“She’s very special to us and look forward to seeing her continue to grow and develop at her new home,” Mr. Stone added. 

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.