A 53 year old Californian teacher called William Buchman was arrested
for animal cruelty yesterday after police found hundreds of alive and
dead pythons in his home in Orange County. Police were called to the
scene after residents complained about the smell coming from the house
which was described as ‘God-awful’ and ‘the smell of death’.
Investigators, who wore respirator masks found 182 live and 240 dead
python snakes, as well as dozens of mice and rats in cages. Sondra Berg
from the Santa Ana Police Animal Services told the press, “We have rats
that are dead in the cages with the live rats,” adding, “They’ve
actually become cannibal and eat each other”.
Mr Buchman has not yet been formally charged as investigators are
still going through his 5 bedroom house. It is believed that Buchman
lived alone after the death of his mother within the last five years, it
is unclear whether he has enlisted the help of an attorney.
Each snake was categorised by name and type by authorities before
being removed from the property. Mr Buchman to the police that he was
involved in a snake breeding program called ‘morphing’ where owners
breed different coloured patterns in the reptiles.
Animal Services supervisor Sondra Berg said that the breeding program
was a popular and profitable enterprise some years back but was less so
now because of overbreeding.
The Newport-Mesa Unified School District, where Mr Buchman works
declined to comment, telling journalists that it was a police matter.
