KITCHENER -- A four-foot-long ball python snake has gone missing from a residence near Chandler Drive in Kitchener, but a local rescue group says there’s no risk to public safety.
Waterloo regional police said Monday afternoon they had received reports the snake had escaped.
The python, named Little Lady, is described as black and gold and about four feet, six inches in length, according to police.
Sarah Arndt, a volunteer with Ground Search and Rescue Kitchener Waterloo, a Facebook group that helps search for lost pets, said the snake has now been missing for five days.
"There's no public safety risk," she said. "They are more scared of us than we are of them."
Ball pythons get their name for how they curl up into a ball when scared, Arndt said, adding they're generally quite docile.
She said ball pythons are a common breed for pets and are kept in enclosures.
"They live in enclosures as pets, many aren’t even used to hunting anymore," Arndt said. "The only thing it would be able to consume in the wild would be mice and rodents, if it even has that ability anymore."
She said Little Lady was likely out of her enclosure and escaped the residence through a screen, although the pet's owners are still extensively searching their house to ensure the snake isn't inside.
Arndt admitted missing snakes are an uncommon occurrence for Ground Search and Rescue, but the organization has assisted with at least one escaped ball python before.
Anyone who observes the snake is asked to call police or Ground Search and Rescue Kitchener Waterloo at 519-496-9656.
"We hope Little Lady can make it back home," Arndt said. "We just need eyes out and hopefully we can pop over and secure her."
