Beech Grove python still missing, but social media raises awareness
BEECH GROVE, Ind. (WISH) — A 14-foot python was still on the loose Wednesday in Beech Grove.
The snake’s owner, Benny Tarplee, continued his search for the missing snake named Vine in a creek just behind Southwood Baptist Church in Beech Grove.
For miles, Tarplee traipsed through knee-high water as he searched relentlessly for his 8-year-old pet Burmese python.
“This is just absolute perfect habitat for her,” Tarplee said. “She’s a jungle snake. This is exactly what she’d seek out. It’s a high prey source. It’s very close. This is where’d she be. If she’s going to be anywhere, this is where’d she be, unless she’s not here yet. The problem is when she gets in this creek, she can travel for miles pretty easily, just following the water.”
24-Hour News 8 first told you about the search for Vine on Tuesday.
The 14-foot long snake has been missing for six days after one of Tarplee’s friends accidentally left her crate open and she slithered out the back door of his home near the 400 block of Byland Drive.
“I didn’t expect all this,” Tarplee said. “So, I appreciate what I got. I don’t deserve it. I should have double-checked that enclosure. I always do. It’s just a stupid mistake. It’s just a stupid mistake. My buddy should have locked it. I shouldn’t have trusted him.”
The search quickly turned from the creek to the internet. Overnight, the search created a frenzy on social media.
The quest for Vine gained traction online as supporters created a Twitter account that gained hundreds of followers in hours.
It’s an unexpected helping hand that Tarplee said he believes could be the key to bringing Vine home.
“That Twitter account is quite possibly saving the snake’s life,” Tarplee said. “It’s hard to kill something that’s personalized. Thank you, whoever that is. I still don’t know who you are, but thank you.”
A petition has also been making the rounds online to change the Beech Grove Schools mascot from a hornet to a python.
Tarplee said he will continue to look for Vine until he finds her. He tells 24-Hour News 8 that while searching he saw some of what could be Vine’s “slides” or tracks on the banks of the creek.
If you do encounter the python, do not approach her, instead call police immediately.