Terrifying moment police spot a massive escaped boa constrictor while driving along street in UK city
THIS is the terrifying moment shocked cops encountered a massive boa constrictor in the middle of a busy road in the UK
Police officers had been driving along on patrol when they spotted the “slippery customer” slithering across the street on Park Lane, in Aston, Birmingham, on Saturday afternoon.
Pictures show how at least three officers bravely ushered the reptile into a pillow case with the help of a broom at the side of the road.
The constrictor, which can grow to more than 10ft (3m) in length, was taken to Birmingham Reptile Centre where it was checked over and found to be uninjured.
Staff said the snake, which is non-venomous, was believed to be a pet.
Mohammed Shikdar, who filmed the boa being captured, said he went to take a closer look after he saw police officers and bystanders “crowding around something”.
He said: “That’s when I saw the snake and the police were trying to pick the snake up using the broom and a walking stick.
“The snake felt threatened and tried to attack the broom.”
The reptile centre’s team supervisor Chloe Clarke said because boa constrictors were not native to the UK, the reptile must have been in captivity.
She thought it had escaped rather than having been left somewhere.
Chloe added the snake was well-fed, but had a couple of marks and some scale damage from the dry climate.
She said: “It’s just a shame that a lot of people think snakes are dangerous, but they are just an animal.
“They [boa constrictors] are not venomous and are not capable of harming a human.”
She said the snake might give a small bite “like a pin-prick” if it became scared.
A West Midlands Police spokesperson said: “We often have to deal with the odd slippery customer, but officers got an off-the-scale shock when they encountered a boa constrictor in the middle of a busy Birmingham road.
“Officers from our operational support unit were driving down Park Lane yesterday afternoon when they spotted the large snake moving across the road.
“But they soon had the situation in the bag as they gently manoeuvred the creature into a pillowcase before taking it for checks at a local reptile centre.
“Staff at Birmingham Reptiles confirmed that the common boa constrictor had come to no harm and they’ll be looking after it until its owner claims it or it’s rehomed.”
In August last year, a dad got the fright of his life when he discovered a 10ft-long boa constrictor curled up in his wood store.
Ian Faulkner was pottering around his garden at his home in Somerset when he spotted the snake nestled among his kindling.
The previous month, a shopper’s pet snake went rogue “trying to steal mints” from a store in Liverpool.
In March the same year, a horrified landlord discovered a humongous boa constrictor left behind by a ‘nightmare’ tenant.
In the wild, boas can be found from Argentina to northern Mexico and they thrive in tropical rainforests.
They can also be found in savannas, cane fields, and semi-arid scrublands.
Adult boas usually grow to around 10ft though individuals of more than 18 feet (5.5 metres) have been reported.
While the snakes are not venomous they kill their prey – usually birds and mammals – by crushing them to death in their coils.