A snake abandoned at a subway station in Gangnam District, Seoul, was identified as a "ball python (Ball Python)," an international endangered species under CITES.
According to the Gangnam District Office on the 30th, two snakes were found in a subway station restroom on the 4th of this month. Authorities immediately took protective measures and searched for the owner, but no one came forward.
The Gangnam District Office checked with the Han River Basin Environmental Office and found that one of the two rescued snakes was a ball python. The other was identified as a black kingsnake, which does not inhabit Korea.
Because endangered species are strictly limited from being distributed to the general public except to the owner, the Gangnam District Office consulted with the environment office and decided to transfer the snakes to ensure management in the best environment at the National Institute of Ecology (NIE). The snakes were urgently transferred on the 22nd to the National Institute of Ecology (NIE) in Seocheon County, South Chungcheong.
In Gangnam District, the abandonment of reptiles, birds and other animals, excluding dogs and cats, has continued over the past three years. The share of "other livestock breeds" abandoned was 14% in 2023, 15% in 2024, and 6% in 2025.
The Gangnam District Office said this means there are not a few cases in which people keep unusual pets out of curiosity and then abandon them in public places when they become adults and are harder to manage.
An official at the Gangnam District Office said, "Abandoning reptiles in public places can cause anxiety and fear among residents and is also fatal abuse of the animals," urging responsible care.