Enormous red-tailed boa constrictor from South America is found dumped in paddock after being released into the wild
- Cory Kerewaro from Reptile Relocation Sydney was called to catch huge snake
- He rushed to an empty paddock and searched the area but didn’t find anything
- Mr Kerewaro returned the next day and found a 2m long boa constrictor
- Boa constrictor is native to Central and South America and has to be euthanised
A huge boa constrictor on the loose in an empty paddock has raised alarms for nearby residents.
Cory Kerewaro from Reptile Relocation Sydney was called about 8pm on Thursday after he was sent a photo of a boa constrictor in an empty paddock in Austral.
He rushed to the site and scoured the area in knee-high grass up until 11pm with no luck of finding the snake.
‘We didn’t find anything straight away so returned on Thursday early morning, searching around for an hour and came across another boa constrictor,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
Cory Kerewaro (right) from Reptile Relocation Sydney was called about 8pm on Thursday after he was sent a photo of a boa constrictor in an empty paddock
Mr Kerewaro believes someone dumped the reptiles because there is more than one in the area
It appeared to Mr Kerewaro that the snakes were dumped at the paddock because he still wasn’t able to find the one he was sent a photo of.
‘It was larger animal that we were sent,’ he said.
‘After we found that we contacted the owners and informed them that we found the snake and haven’t found the other one – it seems like someone dumped these pets.’
The 2m long reptile was found cowering in the grass when Mr Kerewaro spotted him and grabbed him.
He explained that because the boa constrictor isn’t native to Australia, it would have to be euthanised.
‘Any species not native to Australia can carry diseases and parasites are illegal, haven’t been quarantined and have been smuggled, have to be euthanised,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
Mr Kerewaro expects to return to the paddock on Saturday and is hoping to find the smaller boa constrictor he was initially alerted to
Mr Kerewaro expects to return to the paddock on Saturday and is hoping to find the smaller boa constrictor he was initially alerted to.
The boa constrictor is native to Central and South America and can only be found in zoos in Australia for conservation reasons.
Under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), and the Biosecurity Act 2015 (Cth) the non-venoumous reptile is restricted due to its threat to Australia’s environment, economy and the wider community.
The illegal importation of the snake could often lead to animal cruelty and is classified as a Prohibited Dealing under the Biosecurity Act 2015.
It is an offence to keep the boa constrictor unless exempted under the Exhibited Animals Protection Act 1986 or Animal Research Act 1985.