Anybody ssssee a ssssnake?

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Last Updated Wed, 02 Mar 2005 16:03:03 EST
CBC News
TORONTO - Police are asking people in Toronto for help in finding a metre-long exotic snake that vanished from the Ontario Science Centre this week.

Sgt. Peter Churcher of the Toronto police said the red-tailed boa constrictor was probably stolen from the centre on Tuesday.

The snake is not a danger to the public and it's not poisonous, Churcher said.

The boa, which was raised at the centre, was last seen at around 3 p.m. Monday in its locked enclosure just outside a rain forest exhibit.

Science centre staff noticed it was missing the next day.

"This is new to us," said Churcher, adding that police don't know the exact circumstances of the snake's disappearance.

No teams were specifically assigned to search for the reptile, he said.

That's because police assume the boa "could be in someone's snake collection by now."

Similar snakes can cost up to $350 at Toronto-area pet stores.

How does someone get a snake out of a locked enclosure and carry it out of the Science Centre without anyone seeing? Inside job if you ask me :D

[marisa]

I think the snake escaped.

Marisa

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Boa vanishes from Ontario Science Centre

Thief had key or picked lock to snake case

By JORDAN PRESS
Wednesday, March 2, 2005 - Page A6

TORONTO -- Police are looking for a snake -- a real one this time.

A snake that had grown up in the Ontario Science Centre was stolen from its home, police say.

Someone either had a key or picked the lock on the enclosure the one-meter-long red-tailed boa constrictor was in, Toronto Police Sergeant Adkin Holder said. At this point, police are looking inside and outside the centre, he said.

"It's too early to tell," Sergeant Holder said. "It could be anybody.

"We're just trying to see if anybody knows about it. See if anybody has a new pet at home."

The snake is not considered dangerous and is not poisonous, police said.

Animal attendants at the centre last saw the snake in its glass case at 3 p.m. Monday.

The centre closes at 5 p.m.

Yesterday morning, they noticed the snake was missing during their regular rounds, spokeswoman Alicia Stanton said.

Its case is about three metres long, less than a metre wide and about two metres high, with only about six millimetres of space if it had tried to slither out, she said.

The reptile would have needed more than that to escape, Ms. Stanton said. "There's no way that would have been possible."

Science centre security searched the building and found nothing, Ms. Stanton said. Police did a similar search with the same results, Sgt. Holder said.

On either side of the case are doors that swing out, Sgt. Holder said. The locks are the same as the type used in a desk, he said.

The snake was part of the Living Earth area on the lowest level of the centre, just outside of the rain forest exhibit.

Across from the red-tipped boa was another snake, which was not stolen, Ms. Stanton said.

The red-tailed boa constrictor came to the centre as a baby, Ms. Stanton said. A few weeks ago the snake was put on display, she said.

The red-tailed boa can cost anywhere from $199 to $350 at Toronto-area pet stores.

The red-tailed variety of the boa constrictor comes from Colombia and other parts of South America.

The snakes can grow up to 2.5 metres in length and live as long as 30 years in captivity.

They are usually tame if raised around humans and are properly maintained. If a snake has just been fed, it doesn't usually like to be handled and may strike.

Other types of the red-tailed boas like the Bolivian or Suriname can be more aggressive than the Colombian, but can turn out as docile as baby if handled properly through life.

[justinO]

Thats really unfortunate that somebody would do something like that. I hope they either find the snake, or the person who did it.



Justin

[JAdkins2451]

I watched that on the news last night.. Thats suck I dont understand why people do stupid things like that..

Jamie

[ATBlover]

well if the snake did get out of its tank...it wouldnt last too long in the wild and if someone stole it then their probably giving it a better home than the zoo....saying that because the zoo near me doesnt keep it in a very nice enclosure and also i noticed that there isnt any water for almost all of the reptiles...

[meow_mix450]

I was there last week, they dont have cameras at the exbits so its pretty easy to break the lock and get away with it, without people knowing. But why would someone do that....hope it gets found

Meow

[meow_mix450]

The snake has been found!!!!!!!!!!! Marisa was right it escaped and got into a radiator! So it wasnt stolen. It was just missing! Gald they found it

Meow

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I, too, saw it on the news that the snake had been found in a nearby radiator...
Just goes to show how the media is fuelled by sensationalism.
Ryan