A 6-foot-long discovered inside a Target shopping cart was rescued and is safe while authorities remain unsure about how the reptile found its way there in the first place.
The incident occurred Saturday morning at a Target location in Sioux City, Iowa. Animal control was called at about 11:30 a.m. to deal with the situation, and it remains unknown whether the customer or an employee noticed it first.
It is believed that the male snake, a 6-foot-long red-tailed boa constrictor, found its way into the cart while outside and in a cart corral, and then a customer unknowingly brought it inside the store.
An employee at Sioux City Animal Adoption and Rescue Center, where the boa is currently being housed, told Newsweek via phone on Monday that security footage of the Target parking lot was pulled but it remains undetermined who the snake initially belonged to or how it made its way inside the cart.
A local police officer told Newsweek via phone that boas are actually illegal within city limits based on local ordinances. The officer said it may be that a local who had the snake as a pet somehow lost it in the vicinity, "but that's just a theory."
Columbian red-tailed boas can last approximately 20 years in the wild and 40 years under human care, according to the Racine Zoo in Wisconsin. Females, the larger sex, usually weigh between 20 and 30 pounds.
These specific snakes are typically tan and have about 20 dark dorsal saddles running the length of their bodies, with tail botches that are red, orange or brown with black edging.
Boa constrictors are popular in the pet trade, according to the Oakland Zoo. Humans tend to like them as pets due to the ease of obtaining those that have been captive-bred for generations.
The police official did not say whether any further investigation will take place regarding who the snake originally belonged to, adding that it's now in the hands of animal control.
Per normal protocol, the rescued snake will be housed at the local animal control facility until Saturday, or for seven days. All animals are kept there for that maximum period of time.
"We're gonna put it in a rescue as soon as its hold time is up," the employee said. "We're taking care of him, he's doing good. He's nice and warm, we have the heat lamps on him and he's been fed."
The incident garnered the attention of locals after local news outlet KCAU 9 posted about it on Facebook, drawing thousands of reactions and hundreds of comments.
"This makes me really sad and is a prime example of why our hobby is under constant scrutiny," said one Facebook user. "Do better so us responsible keepers can continue keeping."
"He is more scared than any human is of him," said another user. "Poor baby. I hope he gets a good home."
Newsweek reached out to Target via email for comment.
