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Boa Constrictor Found Outside Riviera Beach Home Captured and Relocated

Authorities say the red-tailed boa was an escaped pet, not a python subject to lethal control in Florida.

Overview

  • Resident Jay Slagle spotted a roughly 5–7 foot snake outside his Woodbine neighborhood townhouse on Sunday and called 911.
  • A neighbor threatened to shoot the animal before Riviera Beach Officer Josh Wilson arrived and helped shovel it into a recycling bin, securing the lid with a brick.
  • A state-licensed trapper removed the snake from the scene and delivered it to a wildlife center, and no injuries were reported.
  • Experts identified the reptile as a Colombian red-tailed boa constrictor rather than a python, a difference that affects how it may be handled under state law.
  • Local reports attribute the snake to a longtime pet named Pablo that escaped from its owner’s home, with details such as the name and circumstances characterized as reported accounts.