Police searching for missing 6-ft-long ball python in Delta

Ball python. (Shutterstock)

There is a six-foot-long ball python on the loose in Metro Vancouver.

According to a release issued by Delta Police today, a ball python named ‘Gypsy’ was last seen slithering in a farmers’ field in Ladner on June 30.

Officers had first contact with the owner of the snake earlier in the month on June 20, when a man was reported sleeping with a large snake outside the Walmart at Tsawwassen Commons.

The man obliged to police requests to relocate to their minivan, with officers describing the encounter with the man as “cooperative and polite.”

It is unclear how the snake got loose, but it is described by police to be eight inches in diameter and dark caramel in colour.

“Unfortunately, officers do not have an exact location where the snake was last seen – just that it was in a farmer’s field in Ladner,” said Cris Leykauf, a spokesperson for Delta Police.

When stressed or frightened, this species of snake is known to curl up into a ball, hence the name. In a wild setting, their diet is mainly small mammals such as rats, mice, and birds.

“Ball pythons are not venomous, and apparently are a popular choice for those wanting a pet snake, as they are known to have more of a docile temperament,” continued Leykauf.

Anyone who spots the snake is asked to immediately call 9-1-1 with the location so that it can be quickly and safely captured.

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