A 1.5-metre-long king python snake was found lying in a wood next to a car park in Vienna, police in the Austrian capital said on Sunday.
The constrictor was noticed by a passing officer, who promptly picked it up, "secured it" and handed it over to animal rescue services, the police said.
The reptile had probably been abandoned and appeared to be in a weakend state when found. It made no attempt to attack or flee, according to the report.
King pythons, which are native to West and Central Africa, are not venomous and are considered relatively peaceful. Often kept in terrariums as exotic pets, they feed on mice, rats and birds after smothering them with their body.
