Large, exotic snake found in a river in Mississauga, Ontario
Published February 6, 2024 at 8:47 am
A large, exotic snake was found dead in a Mississauga river.
The snake, which appears to have been the focus of a video on social media, was found in Erindale Park on the shoreline of the Credit River yesterday afternoon (Feb. 5), the City of Mississauga Animal Services told insauga.com in a statement.
Animal Services said they received a call about the snake and retrieved the dead boa constrictor.
The snake was estimated to be about seven feet long, Animal Services said.
“It appears that an otherwise healthy snake succumbed to the conditions,” the statement read.
The snake was found in this area of Erindale Park.
Boa constrictors’ natural habitat is tropical rainforest to semi-desert and they are found in areas from northern Mexico south through Central and South America.
Videos
They require a much warmer climate to survive, said Jay Smith, manager, City of Mississauga Animal Services.
Smith said people should immediately report any sightings of an exotic snake (dead or alive) to Animal Services.
If the animal (domestic or exotic) is alive and in distress, Animal Services can rescue it and return it to safety.
If the animal is dead, Animal Services should be made aware of it immediately so that they can properly dispose of the remains.
Residents should call Animal Services at 905-896-5858 to report any such sightings.
A video of what appears to be the same snake was posted to social media on the weekend.
Many commented on the cruelty of leaving the snake in such cold conditions.
“That looks a lot like a pet constrictor – a python or boa – that has been cruelly abandoned in an ecosystem it cannot survive in,” one person wrote on Reddit.
“Those snakes are used to living in tropical and near-tropical habitats, and the cold water you see it immersed in the creek is going to weaken it and likely kill it.”
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