Daniel Moniz of Bricktown, New Jersey, suffered bites to the face, neck and arm from the 13-foot-8.7-inch (4.18-metre) python that won him a prize for the longest python caught by an individual.

Ball pythons are popular pets and can live upwards of 30 years. The long lifespan can be too much for some owners to handle, leading a few to dump them illegally in parks and wilderness areas ...