Editor's note: This article has been edited to reflect the correct species of snake found and where it was found.
UPPER WEST SIDE, Manhattan (PIX11) — A five-foot-long boa constrictor was spotted crawling around on the Upper West Side Wednesday morning, according to the New York City Police Department.
Police were called around 8 a.m. by a neighbor who reported seeing a snake on West 87th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Streets, a police source told PIX11 News.
The snake was later found in the backyard of the brownstone and removed. Police initially identified the snake as a python, but a representative from the animal rescue center told PIX11 News it was a boa constrictor.
It was not immediately clear where the snake came from, police said. An ACC spokesman said it is illegal to own a boa constrictor in New York City.
ACC confirmed to PIX11 News that the snake, named “Severus” by care center staff, was brought to the Manhattan care center for a physical exam and then released to a foster home outside of New York City. The snake is described as brown in ACC's “Found Animals” database.
Emily Lahal is a digital reporter from Los Angeles who has covered New York City since 2023. She joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of her work Follow us on Twitter here here.
