Sonic workers escape from a large snake found behind the fryer

BRUNSWICK, GA. – Workers making burgers and tater tots in a Sonic fast food kitchen fled after discovering an intruder hiding behind the fryer.

Brunswick police lieutenant Matthew Wilson found employees at the Sonic drive-in huddled in the parking lot when he arrived to investigate last Saturday. On the phone, they had described the culprit as brown with diamonds on his back.

“When I saw it, I could see it was just a ball python and not a rattlesnake,” Wilson told The Brunswick News.

Not only did he remove the large, non-venomous snake, but it also found a new home with a friend who has a large terrarium and a penchant for snakes.

Wilson says that the python snake probably slipped into Sonic̵[ads1]7;s kitchen on May 21 through an open back door, and found a cozy place for his cold-blooded body behind the hot fryer.

Police do not know where the snake came from, but Wilson says it was probably a pet that was loosened by the owner.

Eammon Leonard agreed. He is an invasive species biologist at the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Leonard said that snakes are often an impulse purchase and that owners find themselves thinking about them as their scaly pets grow bigger.

“It could be that someone just has not thought through the consequences of a large snake as a pet,” Leonard said. “Some people regret it later and just let go of things. It’s definitely irresponsible.”