Coming across a boa imperator in a Central or South American rainforest would be a thrill for any wildlife watcher. But crossing paths with one in a Nottinghamshire park was more of a nasty shock for dog walker Sean Dirrane.
Sean had taken Bow, his springer spaniel/border collie cross, for an afternoon walk in Colwick Country Park, near Nottingham Racecourse, on one of the hottest days of the year so far. Bow was enjoying himself off the lead, sniffing around in the bushes, but luckily Sean spotted the large reptile first.
Although they are not venomous, boa imperators can give a nasty bite if they are caught unawares.
The heat of the gravel path had obviously attracted the six-foot-long, cold-blooded snake to warm itself and it had slithered out of the undergrowth to sunbathe, which made it very conspicuous in an English park.
At first, though, Sean thought the animal was a tree branch. Then his next thought was that some youngsters had put a plastic snake there as a practical joke but he put Bow back on the lead, just in case.
“As I walked closer I realised, ‘Oh no. It is a snake.’ It didn't move. It was completely still.”
It was when the boa lifted its head that Sean knew he was having the unexpected wildlife experience of his life. “As I walked closer I realised, ‘Oh no. It is a snake’,” he said. “It didn't move. It was completely still.”
Boa imperators are one of the most common large snakes to be kept in captivity as they are generally quite docile and tolerate being handled. This one was not going anywhere in a hurry, which was lucky for Sean as he rang for help from a disbelieving police 101 call handler.
“It was a pretty odd call to be making,” said Sean. “I gave her the what3words location and luckily the snake didn’t move while I waited around for 20 minutes for the officers to arrive.
“It’s a heavily vegetated area so if it had gone into the bushes I don’t think they would’ve found it easily.”
It’s unclear if the boa had escaped from its keeper or been dumped by someone who was no longer able to look after it, but a local reptile centre was happy to come out to collect it and save snake and park users from any more alarming encounters.
Main image: example of a boa imperator, a snake native to the rainforests of Central and South America. Credit: Getty | Words: Sheena Harvey
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