Anaconda escapes Wisconsin home before being wrangled by deputies
CHETEK, Wis. -- A Wisconsin deputy made a ssslick ressscue Sssunday night when a pet snake escaped onto the roof of its owners' house.
This was no gopher snake or ball python, though. Cpt. Jason Hagen of the Barron County Sheriff's Department rescued a massive serpent from the home in Chetek.
Hagen said most of the other deputies are afraid of snakes, so he valiantly wrangled the reptile.
READ MORE: No snakes on a plane: "Emotional support" boa constrictor discovered by TSA
The snake's owners were out of the house when it escaped and a concerned neighbor called the sheriff's department to report the jailbreak. Hagen hung around until a family friend showed up to get the snake back inside.
"We won't judge people's choice of pets, but we're pretty sure most people live in NW Wisconsin to avoid these jungle monsters," the sheriff's department wrote in a Facebook post.
University of Minnesota associate professor Kenneth Kozak, who curates the amphibians and reptiles at the Bell Museum, said the snake is likely an anaconda. The South American boa can grow up to 22 feet in length.
"I would not say they are commonly kept as pets," Kozak said. "Though they are certainly available from breeders in the pet trade for snake enthusiasts to purchase."
