THE STORY BEHIND THE SATIRE · San Antonio, Texas · Oct 4, 2026

Veterinarians remove three golf balls from snake without surgery

What happened

People reported on October 4 that South Texas Avian & Exotic Hospital treated a snake after it swallowed three golf balls. With the animal heavily sedated, the veterinary team carefully moved each ball through the gastrointestinal tract and out through the mouth, avoiding surgery. The hospital said the snake recovered without complications and continued to do well.

Why it matters

Foreign-object ingestion can cause a life-threatening obstruction in reptiles. This case is memorable because specialized handling avoided a more invasive procedure, but it is not a do-it-yourself technique: the hospital used heavy sedation and a veterinary team.

The Blappos angle

Three Golf Balls. No Surgery. The patient misunderstood the equipment list, then received a perfect score from exotic medicine. The cheerful clinic scene is original satire, not a recreation of the treatment video.

Read People’s October 4 report ↗

Blappos is commentary. Artwork is illustration—not documentary photography—and the joke is not a substitute for the linked reporting. Check the latest source ledger or read our sourcing, satire and corrections standard.