Hundreds of snakes and scores of cannibal rats were found at a man’s home in Santa Ana, California, the KABC reports. Police were called to the home due to the house’s overwhelming odor.
"We thought someone was dead," said next-door neighbor Forest Long Sr., 62. "We couldn't open up the bedroom windows. My wife started to gag and throw up."
The 53-year-old resident William Buchman had over 400 pythons in his house. 182 of the snakes were alive, with the remaining 240 deceased. Buchman is a 6th grade teacher in nearby Newport Beach, and faces a felony charge for animal cruelty.
Buchman’s home also contained many rats and other rodents, which reporters say were forced to feed on each other due to lack of other food in the home.
Authorities who entered the home to rescue the living animals were forced to wear hazmat suits to combat the smell.
