A Ball Python Has Been On The Loose In Winnipeg For Days & It's A "Very Rare Search"

No homecoming for this animal just yet. A snake in Winnipeg has been on the loose for days and officials still can't catch it. Residents are being told to contact the city if the slithering creature is found.

The city of Winnipeg told Narcity that the snake that's been spotted by people in the city still hasn't been found after it was reported to 311 on July 27.

It was last seen at Innovation Drive at the University of Manitoba.

Both Animal Services officers and Winnipeg Police Service cadets went to that location to try and capture the snake but they came up short.

There was a significant search including in green spaces there.

Based on a picture sent in by a resident, the city has identified it as a ball python.

This is a non-venomous species native to Africa and they're allowed in Winnipeg as pets. They are also part of the exotic animal pet trade.

"This is a very rare search, as most exotics cannot survive long in our climate," the city said.

It's still not known how the snake got loose.

The owner of it hasn't come forward yet.

If the snake is found or is recovered by the owner, residents are asked to contact 311.

According to the CBC, someone spotted the snake on July 24, days before it was reported to 311.

That person was driving by the University of Manitoba's Smartpark and he saw the snake in the middle of the road.

He went back to the area later and it hadn't moved from where he had first seen it.

While out getting a better look at the exotic creature, the person told the CBC that he spoke to others who had seen it there and some had almost run it over on their bikes.

Recently a python was found in a park in Surrey, B.C.

It's likely an abandoned pet.

Last summer, numerous snakes were seen slithering around Toronto and the GTA after they had escaped from where they were being kept as pets.