Nonprofit animal rehabilitation organization, the Raven Ridge Wildlife Center, specializes in helping birds of prey, aquatic birds like ducks and geese, and mammals in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Despite birds and mammals being their forte, a team from Raven Ridge rushed to the streets of Columbia in Lancaster County to address a surprising find: a boa constrictor.
Fox43 reported on the incident, informing readers that police officers found the critter and sought assistance from volunteers from Raven Ridge.
Per a Raven Ridge Facebook post, volunteers at the sanctuary were shocked when informed of the issue. With the knowledge that the wildlife center does not take exotic animals, volunteers nevertheless took action, as the nonnative boa was in a dangerous situation.
When animals are outside of their elements, their lives are put in danger. Boas, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, are native from Northern Mexico to Argentina.
They live in deserts, wet tropical forests, savannahs, and cultivated fields, the Smithsonian informed. The snake, the Facebook post explained, was visibly tired and scared, and was likely a lost or released pet.
Raven Ridge contacted its friends at Forgotten Friend Reptile Sanctuary for help rescuing the animal.
Aligning with the non-profit’s dedication to and passion for the well-being of animals, Raven Ridge detailed why releasing nonnative animals is unfair to the creatures as well as animals native to the release sites.
When left to their own devices, boa constrictors can threaten the ecosystem and create an imbalance in an area’s biodiversity. They will die when it is too cold and breed in humid temperatures, wreaking havoc on other animals’ livelihoods.
Consequences like these are what Raven Ridge hopes to avoid in its efforts to rescue and rehabilitate out-of-place or injured animals.
Raven Ridge advised people to contact local rehabilitation centers and sanctuaries to get rid of pets rather than abandoning them.
“Boa constrictors are often released by pet owners who are unable to care for them due to various reasons,” Raven Ridge’s Facebook post said. “Instead of releasing an unwanted exotic pet, owners should contact local animal shelters, wildlife rehabilitation centers, or agencies that offer exotic pet amnesty programs.”
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