Snake in Surrey left on woman’s doorstep
Posted October 20, 2021 9:21 am.
Last Updated October 20, 2021 12:07 pm.
A woman in Surrey was greeted by a slithery surprise earlier this month, returning home to find a ball python had been left on her front step.
According to Mounties, the snake was left at a home on 121A Street near 66 Avenue on Oct. 8.
“Conservation had reached out to a watch commander requesting that Surrey RCMP assist with picking up a snake,” explained Cpl. Vanessa Munn. “Our officers attended and took custody of the snake, which they later named Joe.”
She says the python spent the evening with the RCMP until the Conservation Officer Service was able to come and pick “Joe” up.
“I don’t know what led to the name Joe, but the officer that attended the scene and transported him back to our detachment thought Joe was a fitting name and the name stuck. So he is Joe the ball python.”
Conservation officer Eric Tyukodi confirms he picked up the snake on Oct. 9.
In an email, he says the snake is an infant, “likely between six-12 months old.”
“It was taken to Urban Safari Rescue Society in Surrey. At this time it is unknown who left the animal on the woman’s doorstep,” he wrote to CityNews.
The RCMP shared on Wednesday a photo of the snake in what appears to be a Tupperware container.
“We found a warm, contained space for him in the Admin office,” the tweet reads.
Joe (as we named him), the ball python was in our care for some of the weekend after a lady reported finding the snake on her front step. We found a warm, contained space for him in the Admin office. pic.twitter.com/krgR90wGsH
— Surrey RCMP (@SurreyRCMP) October 20, 2021
Munn says feelings were definitely mixed in the detachment over the RCMP’s short-term guest.
“There were some people who thought it was neat and really wanted to keep him long term, and then there were others that were very uncomfortable with the snake’s presence,” she said with a chuckle.
Related article: 8-foot snake found in Vancouver’s South Granville neighbourhood
This isn’t the first time a snake has been “misplaced” in Metro Vancouver over the past few months. In August, an eight-foot-long Columbian boa constrictor was reported missing by its owner in the South Granville area of Vancouver, leading to panic among some social media users.
The snake was found safe.
