Snake has plenty of food in storm drain, city officials say.
It isn’t "Snakes on a Plane," but rather a snake in a drain. City workers in Victoria, British Columbia, have been trying to coax a corn snake (Pantherophis guttatus (Elaphe guttata) out of a storm drain for a few days but haven’t had much success. The snake, which apparently was someone’s pet that escaped about three years ago, has so far ignored a dead mouse in a snake trap as well as heat pads that were employed in trying to capture the reptile, according to CBC News.
The city workers discovered the snake with a camera August 16 and have been trying to safely remove the snake ever since. Several folks have claimed the snake as their own, including Nicole Penrice, who claims it was her snake Mico who escaped about three years ago.
“He use to climb in and out of our drains (he particularly liked the bathtub) but he always returned for food. One day he didn't return, and we haven't seen him since," she said in an email to CBC News.
"I haven't seen him since I was 18 but I always had a feeling that he'd be alright … We frequently joked about how he'd be as large as [an] anaconda by the time we found him."
If the city workers are unsuccessful in safely removing the snake from the drain, they may have to excavate the street as a last resort, according to CTV News Vancouver.
Hopefully the corn snake will be saved soon, and can be returned to its rightful owner.
