Saugus Family Locates Missing 5.5-Foot Boa Constrictor
BOSTON (CBS) – A slithering scare for a Saugus neighborhood thankfully came to a peaceful end.
A 5.5-foot boa constrictor was loose for several days until it was located Sunday afternoon. When the pet snake went missing, its owners put out a plea on Facebook to warn neighbors to keep a close eye on their small pets.
Makela, a 4-year-old boa, is part of the Sweetland family. But then she got out of her cage.
"We set traps out for her in the house but we were not catching her so then she snuck out," said Brenda Sweetland.
That created quite the scare for neighbors.
"Petrified. I didn't want to leave my house," said Johnny Pizzi.
Tomaso Passanisi, who takes care of the snake, said he feed Makela two rats about a week ago.
"It would only kill what it can eat. It won't go after humans and kill you or nothing like that," he said.
The family called police and took to Facebook to alert neighbors about the missing snake. The mailman spotted the boa and a neighbor saw it, but they were all too afraid to grab it.
The snake was found Sunday in a neighbor's back yard near a shed.
"It's taken a big burden off me knowing all the dogs in the neighborhood are safe," said Passanisi.
Passanisi said he's been handling snakes for most of his life.
"It just wanted to explore," he told WBZ-TV.
