April 6, 2026, 11:51 a.m. ET
The Del Rio Police Department in Texas recently announced the removal of a large rattlesnake from the bedroom of a local residence.
The striking image accompanying the news release shows a woman’s sandal in front of a large snake coiled beneath a bed.
The Facebook announcement generated hundreds of shares and comments, in large part because of what turned out to be a misleading image.
“They would have to remove me cause I ain’t coming back,” reads a top comment.
“He can have the house and the shoes,” another follower remarked.
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The news release reads, in part: “On March 23, 2026, at approximately 11:54 p.m., officers from the Del Rio Police Department responded to the 100 block of Irene Avenue in reference to an animal complaint. Upon arrival, officers discovered a rattlesnake inside a bedroom of the residence.
“Officers immediately evacuated the occupants to ensure their safety and requested assistance from Del Rio Animal Services. Animal Services responded to the scene and removed the snake without incident.”
After the Del Rio Police Department issued its news release, media outlets jumped on the story, mainly because of the image.
The problem with the image? It’s five years old, involving a different rattlesnake found beneath the bed of a home in Arizona. (Video footage of that incident can be viewed here.)
Bryan Hughes of Rattlesnake Solutions, which relocated the pregnant western diamondback, has tried to have the image removed or at least explained by outlets that used the photo.
“This is our photo, taken years ago here in Phoenix, Arizona,” Hughes stated in the comments of the Rio Police Department’s post.
The department did include a barely visible watermark, reading, “Photo for reference.” But perhaps it could have been more clear in its news release.