Loose snake captured at local post office

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) -- A snake spotted slithering through a Miami Beach post office has been captured.

The snake emerged from a light fixture at around 9:30 a.m. Friday, spooking employees and customers.

The post office, located at 1661 West Avenue, had to close temporarily, so postal employees could perform a safe search. "Basically the employees were concerned what kind of snake it was," said Manuel Ferrer, spokesperson for the United States Post Office. "We didn't know what it was. The customers would see this snake coming around, and we had to take precautions to remove the snake."

Some customers took it in stride when they were turned away during the search. "It's a unique experience for me," said a man who smiled about the news. "Never been to the post office and sent away because of a snake."

Others were traumatized by the notion of a snake inside their post office. "After you told me there was a snake, I opened my mail box sort of like that," said a woman, who was able to check her PO box, stretching her arm out as far as possible, "just in case the snake came out and grabbed at me."

Post office employees then called a professional animal trapper for back up. The trapper managed to find and catch the non-venomous snake, which was about 2 feet long, Friday afternoon. "Yeah, it could've been any kind of snake. I mean, being in here right about to drop down from the ceiling, it could've come down and startled somebody, and they could've been struck, being scared," said animal specialist Mike Samsel.

The post office has since reopened.

(Copyright 2012 by Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)