The owner of a rainbow boa constrictor stopped at a Walmart Supercenter in Lacey, Washington to clean the animal’s cage. While the pet owner was inside the store with the cage, the boa managed to get away, according to The Olympian. Someone saw the snake, called 9-1-1, and Lacey police managed to apprehend the slithery suspect.
“We got a call about a snake found in a parking lot last night!” the Lacey Police Department wrote on Facebook. “Our very brave CSO says it is a Rainbow Boa, and our officer was glad when Joint Animal Services came and got it! If this is your pet, it is ssssssafe & sound at Animal Services!”
Though the police department claimed the officers were glad to say goodbye to the rainbow boa when animal services arrived, they kind of look like they’re enjoying it. Lacey PD posted two photos of officers posing with the boa wrapped around their arms with big smiles on their faces.
Rainbow boas are not venomous; they squeeze their prey to death rather than relying on deadly venom. For people trying to go to Walmart that evening who might not love “nope ropes” (as one commenter calls them), though, a large snake can be a scary sight.
Sgt. Jeremy Knight told The Olympian that officials reunited the lost snake with its owner the following day, which is great, since that rainbow boa was probably expensive and well loved.
See the rainbow boa with Lacey police officers here:
We just want to know—how did that snake get out of the car, exactly?