Residents of a Halifax apartment building are being warned to keep an eye out for a snake on the loose in the building.
Building managers at Harbourview Apartments – formerly Ocean Towers – say the snake is a small boa constrictor measuring about 1.5 feet long.
There are three buildings in the apartment complex, located between Brunswick and Barrington streets. The snake escaped from a unit in Building 2.
Management turned to social media almost immediately to alert tenants. They have sent letters to tenants in the building, asking them to keep an eye out for the snake.
They say the snake is not poisonous, but could cause harm to small animals and babies. Management is warning tenants not to leave small pets or children alone until the snake has been found.
Mike MacDonald, curator of the Maritime Reptile Zoo, says a snake that small would only likely prey on a small animal like a mouse or hamster, but the letter has some tenants nervous.
“We just got a notice today that there’s a loose snake in our building, apparently, and they want us to keep our pets and small children safe. It’s kind of hard to do when you’re working all day,” says tenant Christie Martin.
“We both work so no one’s home with the cat all day long and I’m not quite sure what to do now because I don’t want to come home to a missing cat either.”
It is unclear how the snake escaped its enclosure.
MacDonald says snakes are generally most active at dusk and dawn. He says they typically like warm, tight spaces, like baseboard heaters.
He says tenants shouldn’t be too concerned, but should keep an eye out. If spotted, he recommends covering the snake with a large container and calling Animal Control.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Alyse Hand
