Australia is well-known for its wild animals, but locals were stunned by the appearance of one particular snake on the loose near Sydney. 

What's happening?

Local station 9 News Sydney shared a video showing a large red-tailed boa constrictor near a boat launch in the Sylvania area. 

@9newssydney The snake is native to Brazil and poses a risk to Australia's biosecurity. #9News ♬ original sound - 9News Sydney

"These snakes are native to Brazil," the reporter shared. "So the assumption is this was someone's pet, it's gotten loose, and now it's taking itself on quite the adventure." 

The news report added that the species isn't known to be aggressive and is actually considered "quite docile." But its constricting abilities can be dangerous, and people were warned to keep their distance and contact authorities if they spot the creature. 

Why is a non-native species in Australia concerning?

As the coverage from 9 News mentioned, the boa constrictor poses a threat to Australia's biosecurity. It is also illegal to own the animal as a pet in the country as a matter of protecting native species and local ecosystems, ABC News Australia explained.

The Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry has also described the economic significance of maintaining biosecurity — a term that generally refers to policies and procedures intended to safeguard humans, animals, food, agriculture, and the environment from potential biological dangers.

"Our biosecurity system protects agriculture, forestry and fisheries export industries worth $51 billion; a tourism sector worth $50 billion; environmental assets worth more than $5.7 trillion; and more than 1.6 million jobs," the DAFF explains. The department also notes that maintaining a healthy environment allows for better protection of the culture "of our wider community and First Nations people."

The red-tailed boa constrictor in this case posed the risk of becoming an invasive predator and throwing the local ecosystem out of balance. It also posed the risk of bringing illness, such as the fatal inclusion body disease, to native snake populations, according to ABC News Australia.

What's being done about non-native species?

A few days after the snake was first spotted, ABC News Australia reported that it was successfully captured by Shire Snake Wranglers, a company licensed to handle snakes. 

More broadly, Australia has the country's Biosecurity Act 2015 to help back efforts to protect both native and non-native species from potentially harmful situations. 

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Meanwhile, last year, a joint initiative from DAFF and CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, launched the Catalysing Australia's Biodiversity project to invest $55 million over six years in continuing to innovate biosecurity measures. This came on top of the $1 billion already committed to the cause.

In addition to formal efforts to prevent animal trafficking and the spread of invasive species, awareness campaigns to educate the public about the many hazards of selling and buying animals outside the law may be helpful in supporting a culture shift away from owning exotic but illegal pets — including those with the potential to escape into local habitats.

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