Residents of a Glasgow, Scotland, neighborhood were warned that two escaped pet snakes might not have remained inside the flat where they disappeared.
A day later, the situation had been resolved. The 4.5-foot ball python and 7-foot boa constrictor were recovered safely.
Here's what to know
Per Glasgow Live, the problem surfaced July 7 when the pet owners came back from holiday and realized the snakes were missing, causing them to share a message in the Shawlands Community Facebook group.
That message said the reptiles might simply be concealed somewhere in the flat, but it also raised the possibility that they had reached other parts of the building.
On the morning of July 8, both animals had been found unharmed. Before that update, radio station Clyde 1 had publicized the appeal on its morning show. The boa was described as "slightly grumpier" than its pal, though the pair were deemed "fairly docile," as Glasgow Live noted.
More background
The disruption may have put a scare into neighbors, illustrating what can happen when non-native animals escape into tightly packed living spaces.
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Oftentimes, such events happen with wild animals and are shaped by the way people develop habitat, travel, and explore ecosystems.
The BBC has reported that the way humans build, live, and recreate can influence when unusual encounters happen.
In this case, the impact was reportedly stress, as Glasgow Live said there was "a frantic search." Even when animals are found unharmed, a disappearance can unsettle pet owners and neighbors alike.
"We have a warning coming up, and it's not a laughing matter — it's serious. I've seen 'Snakes on a Plane,' and it freaked me out! For the people of the southside of Glasgow, an important one," George Bowie warned listeners on his Clyde 1 morning show, according to the outlet.
What's being done?
The immediate response was straightforward: Notify the community, expand the search, and share reliable information quickly so people knew what to watch for.
"We have searched high and low in the flat and can't see them," the Facebook post stated, per Glasgow Live. "There's a chance they are well hidden somewhere, but unfortunately, there's also a chance they have found their way under the floor or into the attic and could be moving around the building."
The snakes were found close by. One was inside a drawer, and the other was inside a neighbor's kitchen cupboard.
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