POMFRET, Md. — A 49-year-old man found dead in his Charles County home Wednesday was surrounded by 124 venomous and nonvenemous snakes, investigators say.
A statement from the Charles County Sheriff's Department says first responders were dispatched to a home located around the 5500 block of Raphael Drive in Pomfret after receiving a call from a neighbor that the resident of the home was unconscious on the floor. The neighbor told 911 he went to the home to check on the man since he hadn't seen him in more than a day.
When EMS personnel arrived, forcing entrance through the front door, they pronounced the man dead.
First responders called animal control when they noticed dozens of snakes in the home located in tanks on racks. Jennifer Harris, a spokesperson for Charles County Animal Control, told WUSA9 the team has "tagged and bagged" 125 snakes and counting—both venomous and nonvenomous.
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Harris said the man's neighbor's were unaware he had snakes in his home. Charles County has not released the man's name.
Harris added the man appeared to live alone in the residence.
"I do want to assure the community, [and] anybody living in this neighborhood, we have not seen that any of the snakes were not properly secured or could have escaped," she said. "I know people were worried that there could be some danger to people living nearby, but at this point, we have not uncovered or determined that any of the snakes actually were not secured after this gentleman's death."
Harris also said this was the biggest collection of snakes the county's animal control chief, Ed Tucker, had ever encountered in his more than 30 years of experience..
Animal control called for assistance from other reptile experts in Virginia and North Carolina. Through Thursday, animal control was continuing to bag snakes.
According to animal control, a 14-foot Burmese python was the biggest snake in the home.
The sheriff's office is investigating the man's death and his body was taken to the chief medical examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy. Investigators say there are no clear signs of foul play.