This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Canada, which closed in 2021.

Six-Foot Ball Python Named Gypsy Goes Missing In Delta, B.C.

Police say the reptile isn't dangerous to humans.
File photo of newborn ball pythons rest together in Assagay, South Africa.
Rogan Ward / Reuters
File photo of newborn ball pythons rest together in Assagay, South Africa.

If you live in or near Delta, B.C., you might want to keep an eye out for Gypsy, a six-foot ball python that has been on the loose for over a week now.

Gypsy is six feet long and about eight inches thick, with dark caramel colouring. She escaped in a farmer's field in Ladner on June 30, police said in a release on Saturday. She hasn't been seen since.

Delta Police had their first run-in with Gypsy last month when she and her owner were found sleeping outside a Walmart at Tsawwassen Commons mall.

"Man and snake... were noted to be cooperative and polite" when officers asked them to leave, police said. They relocated to the man's minivan.

A snake breeder holds a ball python in Assagay, South Africa.
Rogan Ward / Reuters
A snake breeder holds a ball python in Assagay, South Africa.

But there's some good news: ball pythons aren't dangerous to humans.

"It's not a venomous snake," police spokesperson Cris Leykauf said in the release. "Apparently these are popular pets among snake owners because they have more of a docile temperament."

In fact, they're called ball pythons because they curl up into a ball when they're stressed or scared, she added. They primarily eat rats, mice, and birds.

If you spot Gypsy, don't panic — just call 911, police say.

Gypsy's escape is far from the first time people's long exotic pets have slithered away from their homes. Last year, a five-foot boa constrictor was lost for a few days after busting out of her plastic cage.

And in 2014, a B.C. couple got more than they bargained for after a four-foot python revealed itself inside their new car.

Also on HuffPost:

Close
This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Canada. Certain site features have been disabled. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.