WATCH: News of its possible presence has some Saanich residents keeping careful watch. It’s long and yellow and exotic. There’s a snake on the loose in Saanich or is there? Luisa Alvarez explains.
What is large yellow and slithers through the grass? A garden hose? Or a snake? According to Saanich police, it’s likely the latter since they’ve received a report from a resident it the 3200-block of Linwood Avenue that a snake has been around.
“He had first seen it around Christmas time and then periodically over the last few weeks in and around his property so around his fence and up a tree and even on his back deck,” said Const. Julie Fast, media spokesperson for Saanich police.
It’s not the first time Greater Victoria has had a snake on the loose. Back in 2016, a snake found its way into a storm drain, only that time at least there were actual pictures of it. The one allegedly in Saanich is a little better at avoiding the camera.
Nobody has been able to photograph it. The resident who said he’s seen it described it to police as a large pale yellow snake, which has reptile specialist at the Creatures Pet Store in Victoria, Michael Moloney, thinking it is some sort of an albino species, likely a ball python.
Whatever it is, the snake has only been spotted late at night or in the very early morning when it is still dark out.
It is behaviour Moloney said is expected if it is an albino ball python.
“That’s when the sun is coming out so it’s wanting to get some sun. It’s an albino too so its a little more sensitive to the light in general. It makes sense that it would only be out in the early morning to sort of late evening night kind of thing,” said Moloney.
It’s been able to evade officials up to this point but they’ve gotten inventive.
“We have set up some cameras to try and maybe capture it we’ve informed the conservation officers of it and bringing them on board as well. If there is a snake out there we want to make sure we are taking the necessary steps,” said Fast.
Fortunately, if there ever needs to be an exotic reptile loose in your neighborhood a ball python is probably the type you want it to be.
“I mean essentially it is a noodle with a head,” said Moloney.
Are they weird looking? Yes, but harmless and probably someone’s pet.
“If this snake is out there and it is an exotic one it was brought into Canada so it’s not native here which means somebody knows about this snake somebody brought it here either it inadvertently escaped or it has been intentionally released,” said Fast.
Saanich police are asking anyone who sees the snake call them right away at 250-475-4321. They have said that if it is safe to do so, people who do see the snake should take a picture of it and keep it in their sight until police arrive. But they should not approach it.
Luisa Alvarez
