Darmstadt police detained 19-year-old after a drunken row with another man and said they saw ‘significant bulge in his trousers’

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

A man detained by police during a drunken argument in Germany may have violated animal welfare laws after being found to be carrying a baby python in his pants.

Police in Darmstadt, in the west of the country, said he was held on Tuesday night after a loud row with another man disturbed residents. They said he was searched and officers noticed “a significant bulge in his trousers”.

The man, 19, told officers he had a snake in his pants and pulled out a 14-inch (36cm) royal python.

He was taken to a police cell to sober up and the snake was put in a box. Speaking on Wednesday, police said they were looking for the reptile’s owner and examining whether “the non-species-appropriate transport” contravened animal protection regulations.