Residents in a suburb in Sydney’s south-western outskirts have been warned that an adult Boa constrictor is on the loose in the area after tradies stumbled across a huge snakeskin on an empty construction site in Silverdale.
The huge skin sparked a frantic search effort as professional snake catchers attempt to track down the missing snake, which is estimated as being as long as 2.5 metres. The local government also issued a letter to local residents warning them that the reptile is “at large”.
“A freshly shed snake skin was found at a property on Torumba Circuit on 9 October 2019,” the letter, which was shared on social media, reads. “NSW Government is in the process of trying to locate and capture the animal and is requesting that residents be on the lookout for it and to report any sightings.”
Australian Snake Catchers shared the letter, along with the image of the snake’s shedded skin, on their Facebook page on Monday and warned anyone who may encounter the snake to stay back and not to approach it.
“There is a large Animal approximately 2.5m on the loose in the Cascades area of Silverdale,” their post reads. “Any sightings of the Snake should be swiftly reported. We have been out to the property and conducted an extensive search of the surrounding area.
“DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CAPTURE THIS SNAKE.”
Thousands of people have joined the debate online surrounding the fate of the snake, with some expressing concerns over the potential that the snake may be killed upon capture, while others feared for the welfare of the local community and native wildlife. Some residents also asked the professional snake handlers for advice.
One person wrote: “The long term serious damage that this snake or others like it could do to our communities and country is unfathomable. It must be reported. We do not want these getting out into our bushland and environments and destroying animals/ natives and wildlife. It’s sad that someone has let this go and clearly not cared about the consequences of what they have done. But the damage they could do – the loss of animals/ danger to humans and so forth is not acceptable either.”
Another said: “Is there any actually practical tips you can give us residents to help keep us safe, other than the same things we do for browns like no rubbish/green waste piles in the land, keep all lawns mowed and make sure all doors seals are intact and strong…. I’m kinda freaking out here.” [sic]
While a third wrote: “A non venomous foreign snake only poses biological issues. Should it have been bred in captivity it would pose absolutely no threat to wildlife.”
Boa constrictors are non-venomous snakes however they are known to bite and then squeeze their prey to death, making them extremely dangerous. They are native to Central and South America and are prohibited in Australia under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) and the Biosecurity Act 2015.
The only exemption are animals which are housed in zoos across the country for conservation reasons.
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