STAMFORD ADVOCATE (Connecticut) 02 July 05 Big snakes cause big commotion in West Hartford neighborhood
West Hartford, Conn (AP): Snakes alive! What's going on in West Hartford?
Two 5-foot exotic snakes with the potential to get a lot bigger were found wandering around the same neighborhood within days of each other.
West Hartford Councilman Chuck Coursey's birthday party was interrupted Wednesday when a boa constrictor appeared on his patio. Two days later, a python showed up a couple of doors away.
Authorities believe a pet owner dumped the two dangerous reptiles after they became difficult to care for.
"We do not think we are being targeted," said Chuck Coursey's wife, Mary. "This is an easy location to drop off pets because it is a quiet road and no one can see you. I am nervous about more snakes, though."
Only Walter, the family's golden retriever, noticed when the boa arrived at the birthday party. He howled for an hour, but no one paid much attention.
When Coursey finally noticed the snake, he thought it was a gag.
That is, until it flicked its tongue.
Then on Friday morning, a python was discovered two doors away on Hamilton Avenue.
Mike Lickteig, the foreman on a tree-cutting job, was the first to see it. He poked the snake to see if it was alive, then jumped back as it moved.
"I do not know anything about snakes, and I do not want to know," said Lickteig, who works for Davey Tree Expert Co.
West Hartford police called the Science Center of Connecticut, and Hank Gruner, vice president for exhibits and programs, pulled up in a van.
Once he caught the python, Gruner gave a short lesson on snakes to the neighborhood children who had gathered around.
The 5-foot python could eventually grow to 25 feet, Gruner said. It will join the boa constrictor at the center, and the pair may be placed on display after they have cleared quarantine.
"Our next step is to call in St. Patrick," said West Hartford Mayor Scott Slifka, referring to the man who drove the snakes from Ireland.
Big snakes cause big commotion in West Hartford neighborhood