Police in Camden, Maine, say a pet python, missing since Friday, appears to have slithered out a window in its owner’s home.
“It’s not a risk to the community,” said Detective Curt Andrick.
The ball python is a constrictor, but not venomous. Police say it is five feet long, brown and yellow in color, and may be in the area of Sea Street. Andrick said the Animal Control Officer has looked in the area, and police have assisted the animal’s owner in a search – but so far, no snake sightings.
“It just seems kind of creepy,” said neighbor Duncan Lockie, who is worried about his dogs finding the python in the backyard. “It’s probably going to cause havoc.”
A man on South Lewis Avenue, who identified himself as the snake’s owner, declined to comment on the search Tuesday.
“I just find this ridiculous,” the man said. “It’s just a small snake.”
But neighbor Judy Godwin begs to differ. She came face-to-face with the snake when it escaped last year, and ended up in her garden.
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“It looks massive,” she said.
Godwin was trying to pick a dandelion out of her garden when she noticed a pattern on the ground under a bush. She called the police, who picked up the snake and returned it. She can’t believe it’s on the loose again.
“I think there should be some rules and regulations that you can have whatever pet you want, but you’re responsible for him,” Godwin said. “If it gets out, there should be a fine.”
Andrick said he is not aware of any ordinances that call for fines if an exotic pet owner repeatedly allows their animal to escape.
He is urging anyone who sees the snake to call police immediately.
