NORMAN, Okla. — A rare python barely makes it home for the holidays after a Norman woman said FedEx lost her snake.
Henry, the Angolan python, is like many of us during the holidays. Last week, he was looking for that special someone to help him ring in the New Year.
“I had a male, so I was looking for a female so I could breed them,” said Lesley Marshall, Henry’s owner.
Marshall found a female snake named Jenks online, purchased her and had her shipped through FedEx with expectations of her being delivered Friday.
“Friday rolls around, no snake. I call FedEx and they tell me they don’t know where she is, that she’s missing,” said Marshall.
Hours later, she said she received a call that her snake had been located and would be flown in and dropped at her doorstep the next morning.
“When Saturday came around, she was still not here,” said Marshall.
Jenks was originally shipped with a heating pad, but this cold-blooded reptile was quickly running out of heat and time.
“At that point, her heat pack had run out; she was getting cold,” said Marshall. “They said she was in a crate, they were trying to find it and they would call us back as soon as possible, but no phone calls.”
Marshall and her mom turned to social media. In a matter of hours, someone heard their cry.
“I’ve never met her, but she contacted someone that she knew who works with FedEx,” said Marshall. “She pulled some strings, about an hour later, I got a phone call.”
When the snake was finally recovered, Jenks emerged from her box cold – alive.
“Maybe just care a little bit more, don’t ruin someone’s Christmas,” said Marshall. “Don’t take the life of an animal if you can help it.”
Marshall said she is forever grateful to the nameless employee that united her with her newest family member.
A FedEx employee told KFOR they would have to do more investigating before commenting on the story, but that their mission is for all packages to arrive at their destinations on time.
