Snake catcher Tony Harrison of Reptile Relocation And Awareness in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, noticed an unusual bulge in one of his pythons and rushed the snake to a veterinary clinic. Dr. Matt Hollindale confirmed by x-ray that the python had eaten a plush toy, specifically a purple teddy bear. Hollindale performed surgery on the snake, the first in his 16-year career, and extracted the teddy bear. Harrison said that if the dog had played with the bear, the snake might have mistaken the scent for that of prey. The snake, now named Lucky, got 15 stitches and is expected to recover completely. The bear was put through the laundry and was returned to its owner. The surgery was recorded in photographs you can see at Facebook. -via Arbroath
(Image credit: Reptile Relocation And Awareness)