Exotic pet owners in Costa Rica continue to be a concern. Not long ago, reports of an escaped anaconda that was kept in a cage by an expat farm owner from the United States scared residents of some Guanacaste towns -although recent news reports indicate that this may have been a hoax; more on that below.

The latest report of an ophidian on the loose come from the city of Escazu, an affluent suburb of the lovable city of San Jose. Earlier this week, a man went out to his backyard to enjoy a cup of coffee and another relaxing morning in Costa Rica. He was greeted by sunshine, birdsong and the sight of a boa constrictor preparing to feast on a neighborhood cat. The man called the police.

Members of Fuerza Publica (Costa Rica’s national police force) from the Bello Horizonte detachment arrived to the scene and began to figure out how to get the boa out of the man’s yard. They tried to rescue the cat, but they were too late, as the 1.5 meters boa had already crushed it in its powerful coils. Police removed the dead cat anyway, immobilized the serpent and removed it from the property.

Officers took the boa constrictor to the Herpetological Refuge in Escazu, where wildlife rescue and research experts determined that the large snake was definitely an exotic pet that escaped its captive domestic habitat, for it was far too fat, robust and seemingly used to being handled by humans.

Herpetologist Rodolfo Vargas told daily tabloid La Teja that:

“I believe this snake escaped its domestic home where it may have been kept for over a year. Either that, or the owners set the serpent loose and it turned up in someone’s yard. It would have kept feeding on anything it could eat: dogs, iguanas, racoons, etc., but it is not dangerous to humans since we are not part of their diet.”

Mr. Vargas also added that boa constrictors are, unfortunately, often kept as exotic pets in Costa Rica. They are commonly found in the wild, but do not grow beyond three meters. In rural areas, they are appreciated since they help to keep rodent populations low.

The Herpetological Refuge is located in Alto de las Palomas, on the hold highway that used to connect the ritzy towns of Escazu and Santa Ana, near Calle Malinche. It is a wonderful place to visit, and they have more than just slithery members of the class Reptilia; there are tropical birds, spider monkeys, white-faced monkeys, tiny and playful Titi monkeys, and more. This refuge is also engaged in wildlife rescue, and this is where the recovered boa constrictor is likely to remain for the time being.

Authorities Call Off Hunt for Loose Anaconda

Ana Lorena Guevara, Vice Minister of the Environment, recently spoke to online news daily CRHoy.com about the pet anaconda reported to be on the loose somewhere in the Tempisque River ecosystem.

The Vice Minister explained that the hunt for the escaped anaconda was getting to be too expensive. More than $80 were being spent each day, mostly on fuel for the 4-wheel drive SUV used for the search. Vice Minister Guevara added that the anaconda reports may have been a hoax or an attempt to create a new urban legend, although in this case it may have been a rural legend since it refers to remote areas of Costa Rica.

An official from the Guanacaste Conservation Area administration also told CRHoy.com that the situation had the markings of a hoax in progress due to inconsistent reports. Sharp readers of the Costa Rica Star commented that the reported size of the ophidian -12 meters long- was very unlikely, and neighbors of communities along the Tempisque River could not get their descriptions straight. They could not agree on the color pattern of the anaconda, and some said it was pitch black. Others even mentioned that they had seen horns on its reptilian head.