A 4m-long albino Burmese python which has been reported missing from Titan Reptiles at the Oakfields Shopping Centre at Northmead in Benoni east of Johannesburg this morning, has still not been found.
The owner of the reptile shop, Mark McGill, said the reptile pulled open the sliding door of its cage in the shop and escaped last night.
McGill said the snake “bubbles” is harmless and has never harmed anyone.
“My four year old son can play with it but since it’s been out in the cold for such a long time since last night, I don’t know what mood it is in.
SPCA spokesperson in Benoni Inspector Renee Rossolimos confirmed that the snake had still not been found at the time of going to print.
She said that the snake is not aggressive but if it gets hungry, it could start looking for food.
“Since its cold, it will not move but once its body heats up, it will then start crawling into the paving drains. People must not be near the drains or furrows, said Rossolimos.
She said that it could not have been plain negligence on the owners’ side as accidents do happen.
“The snake had just been transferred to a bigger enclosure and because of its monstrosity; it could probably have pushed loose the enclosure and got out. Animals behave different when they are in a new environment.”
People are urged to call the SPCA emergency numbers when they see the snake on 0735112261.
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