Human Interest Animals Wild Animals 4-Foot Snake Discovered in Box of Donations at Virginia Goodwill "No snakes, employees, or deputies were harmed during the incident," the Stafford County Sheriff's Office said By Marina Watts Marina Watts Marina Watts is a Digital News Editor at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2024. Her work has previously appeared on Bustle, The US Sun, Newsweek and OK! Magazine. People Editorial Guidelines Published on June 25, 2024 01:18PM EDT Close A 4-foot-long snake was discovered in a Goodwill donation box in Stafford County, Virginia. Photo: Stafford County Sheriff You might have heard of bookworms, but have you heard of book snakes? A 4-foot-long snake was discovered in a Goodwill donation box full of books in Stafford County, Virginia, according to NBC News affiliate News Channel 8. The reptile, whose species is unknown, as per the local Patch, was found slithering around among a box of books. Captain J.A. Bice of Animal Control responded to Goodwill's call and removed the snake from the store. It remains unclear how the animal wound up among the donations. The Virginia Goodwill does not accept live snakes as donations, along with other items listed online. The Stafford County Sheriff's Office posted a photo of the snake on Instagram. Stafford County Sheriff Driver Spots Live Snake Dangling from a Car Speeding Down a Highway in Alabama The Stafford County Sheriff's Office also posted about the incident on their Instagram account, letting all know that the matter was resolved without issue and apparently had some fun with the caption while giving an informative update. "Slytherin Suspect Seized," they began their caption, referring to one of the four Hogwarts Houses in the Harry Potter franchise. "With the rise in temperatures recently everyone is trying to beat the heat, even the local wildlife," they continued. "This four-foot-long basilisk was unearthed yesterday by an employee of Goodwill, located at 72 Doc Stone Road, in a box of donated books." Stock photo of book donations. Getty S.C. Woman Finds Snake on Her Car’s Windshield While Driving to Work: They're 'My Biggest Phobia' "Luckily, the Captain of Animal Control, Captain J.A. Bice, was nearby and responded quicker than any Seeker could," the caption cheekily continued. "Using his powers of persuasion, and a bit of Parseltongue, Captain Bice was able to safely remove the snake and release it back into the wild." They concluded their post by noting that “No snakes, employees, or deputies were harmed during the incident." This isn't the first time a snake was unexpectedly found in a box. In June, a live snake was found in a couple's Amazon delivery when they were expecting a video game controller instead. Meanwhile, in March, a woman discovered a 6-foot-long snake when changing her bed sheets.