1.5-metre-long boa constrictor found on the loose in provincial park near Comox, B.C.
Conservation officers successfully wrangled a 1.5-metre-long boa constrictor near Comox on Vancouver Island on Thursday.
Officers were alerted to a "potential large snake on the loose" in Miracle Beach Provincial Park, about 150 kilometres northwest of Vancouver, according to a Facebook post from the B.C. Conservation Officer Service (COS).
Some trails were temporarily closed, and park visitors were turned away at trail entrances, while officers searched for the snake.
Conservation officers are investigating the circumstances of the loose snake.
The COS said it does not believe the incident is linked to a boa constrictor that was recently captured in Tofino, B.C.
Because of the boa constrictor's length, it is considered to be a "restricted reptile," which means that it cannot be released under any circumstances under the Controlled Alien Species regulation, according to the COS.
The boa constrictor is now in the care of the Comox Valley SPCA.
Sara Dubois, senior director for animal welfare science at the B.C. SPCA, said the snake appears to be healthy.
But cold-blooded reptiles, like boa constrictors raised in captivity, can't survive for long outside in B.C.'s cool climate, which is very unlike their native South America.
"They shouldn't be living in the wild of Canada, that's for sure," Dubois said.
She said a boa constrictor (which is constrictive but not venomous) could prey on small animals if left in the wild, but it could also fail at hunting due to being raised in captivity.
Dubois noted there is a four-day legal impound period that gives the owner an opportunity to find their lost pet, if the animal escaped by accident, before the snake can be put up for adoption.
If it's found that the snake was intentionally abandoned, Dubois said, a series of investigations would occur. Dubois noted it's illegal to dump animals, and abandonment falls under animal cruelty legislation.
Because the snake is less than three metres long, it doesn't require a permit to own under the Controlled Alien Species Regulation, according to Dubois.
But she said the SPCA asks very detailed questions of potential exotic pet adopters. They usually already have an appropriate setup, including veterinary care, and extensive knowledge of these species.
"Very few people have the expertise to properly care for them," Dubois said.
The SPCA discourages people from buying exotic pets, particularly from pet stores.
"Sometimes it seems like it's going to be an easy pet, but these exotic animals have really specialized needs," she said.
"They're not an animal you should have as a pet."
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