Hungry 6ft boa constrictor on the loose and 'seeking prey'

The missing boa constrictor, an adult just over 6ft-long, is believed to have last eaten nearly a month ago - meaning it will be hungry and 'seeking out prey'. Adult boa constrictors in captivity feed on rats, mice, rabbits and even chickens - meaning a cat, small dog, or guinea pig would be 'easy prey' for the escaped snake. The maximum length of a boa - which normally live in South America and kill their prey by asphyxiating them by wrapped their bodies around them and crushing the life out of them - is around 13ft, but more commonly around 10ft. Young boa constrictors need to be fed once a week, but older snakes can go without food for up to a month - but after between three and four weeks they will want to feed.



Experts warn that adult boa constrictors should be 'handled by two people' as they are 'incredibly powerful' - meaning a domestic pet would stand no chance. Locals in the market town of Heathfeld, East Sussex - which has a population of 7,500 - are terrified the snake will make 'mincemeat' of their pets. The area is 'packed with dogs' and close to popular dog-walking spots at nearby Geer's Wood. David Smithfield, 43, said the snake escaped from a bungalow on a road called Swaines Way - a residential area where many of the locals are elderly and have pet dogs and cats.

Mr Smithfield said: "The area where the snake has gone missing is full of pensioners living in bungalows, so an escaped 6ft snake is obviously a cause for some concern. Many elderly people in the area have pet cats and dogs so the news has gone round like wildfire in the past week that a hungry snake is on the loose and could make mincemeat of their pet." He said nobody was sure who the owner of the snake was, but that the rumour was that it had not eaten for around four weeks. Adrian Kevill-Davies, who runs William Hill Interiors in Heathfield High Street - just a three minute walk from where the snake escaped - said: "Maybe people shouldn't be keeping snakes like that in their homes. If it's hungry it could go for a cat or anything."



Vet Judy Hanney, of Mayfied Vets - where the owner, who has not been identified, went to report his 6ft-long boa constrictor missing - said the anyone who sees the snake should 'report it immediately'. She said that if the snake is hungry it could attack cats of even small dogs and warned locals living in Heathfield, East Sussex, to keep pets indoors until the snake is caught. She said: "It was reported missing to us last week and he's not been seen since. He won't harm people but he will eat mice and rabbits and small dogs like a beagle or a daschund, so people living nearby should keep small pets indoors. Anyone who sees the missing snake should let us know immediately so we can call his owner and call off the search."