Monday 4, March
Hasenheide python: Cause of death has been determined
On Wednesday 14, February, the corpse of a four-metre-long tiger python was discovered in Neukölln’s Hasenheide Park. Now, an autopsy has revealed the reptile’s cause of death and uncovered other details in the bizarre case.
On Friday, an autopsy conducted by the Berlin-Brandenburg state laboratory confirmed what police had already suspected – that the python was already dead when it was dumped in the park, according to reports from rbb. The internal organs of the snake were already almost completely decomposed when it was found in the bushes at the popular park.
Its cause of death was also determined: the reptile was suffering from salmonella, which had led to severe blood poisoning. The snake reportedly also had pneumonia caused by a bacterial infection.
The Neukölln district office has assumed that the snake was being kept illegally. Owning a reptile of over two metres in length requires a permit, but the district office has confirmed that no such permit had been granted in the area. Snakes, like all reptiles, commonly carry salmonella, which can be transmitted to humans and cause serious health issues. “Anyone who keeps a snake or other exotic animal and…has problems with keeping it can contact the official veterinary service at any time for advice,” said a spokesperson from the borough of Neukölln.
