RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — A large snake showing up at a Riviera Beach man's front door sent two neighbors scrambling, one with a gun and one with a shovel, before police stepped in to wrangle the reptile.
The incident happened Sunday in the Woodbine neighborhood of Riviera Beach, when a resident called 911 to report a five-to-seven-foot snake at his townhouse door.
When Officer Josh Wilson arrived, he found two men already attempting to corral the snake. Wilson used the shovel to wrangle the snake into a recycling bin, secured the lid with a brick, and waited for a state-licensed trapper to arrive and remove the animal.
The trapper initially believed the snake was a python, but snake experts say it is a Red-tailed Boa constrictor. The distinction matters, as pythons can be killed under Florida law, but Red-tailed Boas cannot. The snake is currently at a wildlife center.
The snake, named Pablo, turned out to be someone's pet. The owner has had Pablo for 20 years, getting him at age 15. According to authorities, the snake escaped during a chaotic moment — the owner's wife was going into labor at the time.
