On May 16, Elijah Bowles of Twentynine Palms, California, opened a package at the local post office and found a live rattlesnake inside, prompting immediate alarm.
A friend opened the box and, upon seeing the rattlesnake, threw it at Bowles in shock, leading him to pull over and place the package safely by the curb.
Bowles used a stick to confirm the snake s presence and called 911, prompting a swift response from the San Bernardino County Sheriff s Office and Animal Control.
The rattlesnake had been in transit for about two weeks, originally mailed from Hayward, California, on May 3, before reaching Bowles in Southern California.
Marked "fragile" and padded with cotton balls to muffle the rattlesnake's rattle, the package listed a return address from Palm Coast, Florida, adding to the mystery.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff s Office referred the case to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, while Animal Control took custody of the Western rattlesnake.
Bowles suspects the live rattlesnake delivery was an attempt on his life, describing it as "attempted murder," and the investigation seeks to uncover the sender's identity and motive.
The rattlesnake, native to Northern California and not typically found in Southern California, posed a significant danger if disturbed, capable of delivering a venomous bite.