A metre-long ball python snake is on the loose in a Dartmouth, N.S. apartment building.
Owner Ashley Gibbs isn’t certain whether it escaped or was taken out of its tank, but it’s now hiding in the wall of the building.
Renovations are being done in the building to spruce up the bathrooms and the snake somehow made it out of its tank and into a plumbing passage inside a wall.
Gibbs reported the snake missing to police this week.
“Animal services have been contacted in the meantime and they’re following up with this complaint,” says Const. Holly Smith.
Before the snake was found, Gibbs had posted an ad on Kijiji offering a reward for her pet’s return. The ad says the snake is used to being handled by people and doesn’t represent a danger to anyone, who isn’t a small rodent.
Pet store employee Jaimee Easterook says ball pythons have a more gentile disposition than boa constrictors.
However, neighbours who heard about the incident had mixed reactions.
“It’s a what, a four-foot snake? No big deal,” said one.
“Yeah, it’s a little scary. It’s like four or five feet long,” said another.
Efforts are underway to entice the snake out of the space, but local experts say it will come out on its own when it gets hungry, in a few weeks.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Ron Shaw
