Internet commenters were left in disbelief after one man explained why his fiancée released his pet ball python into the wild while he was on a business trip.
In a viral Reddit post published on r/AmITheA**hole, Redditor u/Warm-Art-378 said that he has been an animal lover his whole life, but recently was faced with choosing between one of his most unique pets, and his fiancée.
Titled, "AITA for kicking my fiancée out of the house for letting my snake loose outside," the viral post has received more than 10,200 votes and 1,700 comments in just 6 hours.
Writing that he loves "snakes, tarantulas, scorpions, lizards, geckos, dogs [and] cats," u/Warm-Art-378 said that when he moved out of his parents house, he decided to adopt a ball python.
Describing the python as "docile," and noting that it "loves to be held," u/Warm-Art-378 also said that when he and his fiancée decided to move in together, he was tasked with introducing her to his pet snake.
"I slowly introduced her to the snake," he wrote. "She thought the snake was really cool and even held her a few times."
However, after a few of his fiancée's friends found out about the snake, her attitude towards the reptile changed. After making repeated requests for the animal to be relocated, the Redditor said his fiancée took matters into her own hands, a la St. Patrick, who in legend, drove the snakes from Ireland.
"I had to travel to another state for work and trusted her to take care of the snake," he wrote. "I was gone for a week and when I came back, I saw the [snake's] tank completely gone."
"I went outside and checked the wooded area behind [my home] and found the tank. [It] was open [with] no sign of the snake," he continued. "When my fiancée got home, I showed her the tank and told her to pack a suitcase and find another place to stay."
While dogs, cats and fish remain atop the list of most commonly-owned pets throughout the United States, reptiles are also surprisingly popular.
In 2020, World Atlas reported that 366,900 pet-owning households include at least one reptile species, making the cold-blooded creatures the fourth most-popular pet in the country.
Although some states and cities prohibit the ownership of snakes altogether, Ball Python Guide reports that ball pythons remain a favorite for reptile owners, due to their small size (ball pythons usually grow between 2 and 5 feet) and docile nature.
However, in cases when a ball python owner decides they can no longer take care of the snake, or that they simply no longer want it, releasing the animal into the wild is not recommended.
"In most cases, releasing a captive snake will end badly," Snakes For Pets, an online resource for snake owners, reports. "Often, a pet snake will quickly succumb to illness, cold weather, or predation."
"Releasing a captive snake into the wild...is a cruel and irresponsible act," the Snakes For Pets website reads.
This sentiment, about cruelty and the perils of releasing a pet snake into the wild, was echoed throughout the comment section of the viral Reddit post.
In the post's top comment, which has received nearly 17,000 votes, Redditor u/MorganZero questioned the legality of the release, and took aim at the original poster's fiancée.
"It's illegal to turn animals like that loose in the wild," they commented. "Your [fiancée] is f****d up."
"Agreed, she also very likely killed [the snake] due to it being...domesticated," Redditor u/SpaceAceCase added, to the tune of more than 7,100 votes.
"This would be like letting a dog run free," they continued. "OP should break off the engagement."
Redditor u/rapt2right, whose response has received more than 1,200 votes, was adamant that the release of the ball python was cruel, as well as a betrayal of the original poster's trust.
"She knew when she moved in that you love critters and had a snake," they commented. "She betrayed your trust. It's pathetic to be jealous of a pet."
"It's absolutely monstrous to dump a pet, in so many ways," they added.
Newsweek reached out to u/Warm-Art-378 for comment.
