Yuma firefighters and the Humane Society of Yuma were called to the 900 block of South 8th Avenue on Saturday to capture a 6 to 8-foot-long python on the loose on the front porch of the residence.

"We do respond to snake removal calls, but to have a python this big is more than a bit unusual for us," said YFD Fire Inspector Kayla Holiman.

Holiman said the very large snake was found near the front entrance of the home and that it did not belong to the owner.

Jennifer Page, who spotted the snake, said she had gone outside to the porch to get something and noticed the snake as she was going back inside.

"I was freaking out. I ran back inside and closed the door," Page said. "That is something you just don't expect to see."

Page said the family has a plant stand shaped like a wagon on the porch and the snake was curled up underneath it.

"Our cat sits in that corner also," Page said. "No wonder she didn't want to go outside this morning."

Once back inside Page said she first called the HSOY to come get the snake but they told her that she needed to contact the fire department to do a snake removal, which she did.

"They were out there for about an hour before they finally decided what to do," Page said. "At one point it raised its head and hissed at us."

Firefighters and HSOY officers were eventually able to capture the snake and contain it inside a pet carrier, without incident.

"It was curled up on some lady's porch and she was very upset about it, " said Shanen Aranmor, HSOY spokeswoman. "When we got the call it wasn't being aggressive. It was very aggressive once we started trying to catch it and put it in a cage."

HSOY then took possession of the snake. Their officers estimate the snake may even be 8 to 10 feet long, but it has not been measured.

"We have it but we don't want it. We hope the owner comes forward," Aranmor said. "We think it was a pet that somehow got away or was let go."

Holiman said that after the snake was captured firefighters and HSOY officers went door-to-door in the neighborhood looking for the snake's owner but did not find anyone.

Terry Page, Jennifer's father, was not home at the time, but added that he was concerned about how the snake got into his fenced yard.

"I can't imagine where it would have come from." Terry Page said.

Aranmor said python is a common name for non-poisonous snakes of the boa and python family that kill its prey by squeezing it.

Pythons are not indigenous to Yuma, according to Aranmor, and are typically found in the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, Australia and the Pacific islands.

The local snake removal comes just days after a 2-year-old Florida girl was strangled to death by a python that escaped its aquarium in Sumter County.

Pet owners are reminded to understand all of the risks associated with having dangerous animals. When a dangerous animal escapes, it not only poses a risk to the owner, but also to residents in the surrounding community.