An extremely venomous Gaboon Viper snake, estimated at four to five feet long, was spotted in a residential area near Main Street and Edinger Avenue in Santa Ana, California. Resident Joel Ciprian took a photo of the snake in his backyard and reported it to police, despite some social media users questioning if the image was AI-generated. The Santa Ana Police Department issued an urgent warning for residents to stay away from the snake due to its highly venomous nature. The Southern California Herpetology Association and Rescue is working with authorities to locate the snake.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-29,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
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An extremely venomous viper snake is on the loose in an Orange County neighborhood as police officials urgently warn California residents to maintain their distance.
The Gaboon Viper snake was last seen in a tree in a residential neighborhood, according to the Santa Ana Police Department.
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snake → see → Department
It is estimated to be four to five feet long.
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It → estimate → ?
We are asking the public to please be aware of your surroundings.
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We → ask → surroundings
If you see the snake, DO NOT approach or attempt to handle it,' the police department wrote in a Facebook statement.
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department → see → statement
Joel Ciprian, an Orange County resident, took a photo of the Gaboon Viper in his backyard and immediately sent it to the police.
'A Gaboon Viper is a very serious snake.
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Viper → take → police
It's a very serious matter,' Officer Natalie Garcia told CBS Los Angeles.
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Garcia → tell → CBS
Social media users have since raised concerns about the image with some claiming the photo provided by Ciprian was AI-generated.
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photo → raise → Ciprian
'This is AI generated.
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This → generate → ?
The pattern becomes warped past the first 1/3, and there is a stick penetrating the rear body of the snake,' wrote one Facebook user.
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user → warp → snake
'I wish it was AI, It's in my backyard, and it's scary,' Ciprian told the outlet.
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Ciprian → wish → outlet
Garcia said the department is treating the apparent sighting as a 'real snake.'
An extremely venomous Gaboon Viper snake was last seen in a tree in a residential neighborhood near Main Street and Edinger Avenue, according to the Santa Ana Police Department.
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snake → say → Department
It is estimated to be four to five feet long
asserted
It → estimate → ?
Joel Ciprian, an Orange County resident, took a photo of the Gaboon Viper in his backyard and immediately sent it to the police.
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Ciprian → take → police
Social media users have since raised concerns about the image with some claiming the photo provided by Ciprian was AI-generated
The Southern California Herpetology Association and Rescue have launched an extensive search alongside authorities to help identify the snake as soon as possible.
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Association → raise → snake
According to the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, the Gaboon Viper's natural habitat is the rainforest in areas of Central, East and West Africa.
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habitat → accord → Africa
The appearance of a Gaboon Viper has a distinct 'coloration and a broad head, which mimics a fallen leaf, camouflaging it among leaf litter on the forest floor.
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which → have → floor
It has a wide, triangular head that can look similar to a pair of horns.
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that → have → horns
Ciprian noted the horn-features caught his attention at a closer look.
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features → note → look
'When I looked at it close, I was like, "Oh, no, it's a venomous snake",' he told the outlet.
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he → look → it
Their average size can reach between four to six feet as one of the world's largest and heaviest vipers with the highest venom yield compared to other snake types.
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size → reach → types
The snakes have a 'placid nature' and typically only bite humans when they are 'stepped on before it has an opportunity to get away.
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it → have → opportunity
'In addition to its unwillingness to bite, the viper can control whether it injects venom and how much, so the result of a strike can range from no effect to rapid death.
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result → bite → death
A hungry snake will strike at almost any sideways movement, so some bites might well be a result of mistaken identity,' according to the Smithsonian website.
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bites → strike → website
Santa Ana Police Department official have urged California residents to maintain their distance.
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official → urge → distance
'We are asking the public to please be aware of your surroundings.
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We → ask → surroundings
If you see the snake, DO NOT approach or attempt to handle it
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you → see → it
,' they wrote in a Facebook statement
The Southern California Herpetology Association and Rescue have launched an extensive search alongside authorities to help identify the snake as soon as possible
If captured, the snake will be quarantined and transported to an exotic animal sanctuary for proper care, according to Santa Ana police.
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snake → write → police
Santa Ana police officials have encouraged anyone who has seen the snake to maintain their distance and call their non-emergency line to notify officers.
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who → encourage → officers
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Santa Ana police department and the Southern California Herpetology Association and Rescue for comments or additional details on the investigation.
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Mail → reach → investigation
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