One of two snakes abandoned outside a reptile shop in Newmarket on Monday has died.
Two snakes were on their way to their new home at a reptile zoo near Peterborough but one of them died shortly afterwards, according to the Indian River Reptile Zoo.
Officers were called to the shop around 9 a.m. after two Burmese pythons were located in sealed plastic bins that were left outside in the sun. The shop is located in the area of Leslie and Elgin streets.
“The bins themselves were locked down – no locks on them but the bins were tight,” Cnst. Andy Pattenden told CTV News Toronto on Monday. “It looks like the snakes have been there for quite a few hours and hadn’t gotten out.”
“Definitely alarming for the people who walked by and saw this.”
Upon arrival at the scene, officers said they safely loaded up the snakes and began transporting them to a reptile sanctuary that agreed to take them in the Peterborough area.
However, around 4 p.m. one of the snakes was pronounced dead.
The snakes are prohibited under city bylaws as they are between five and eight feet long. Police say this is why the snakes could not be kept at the reptile store they were found outside of.
“There’s a bylaw in the Town of Newmarket that doesn’t allow for snakes of that size to be in the store, to be kept as pets at all,” Pattenden said.
Police said they are investigating the incident as the owner of the snakes has not been located. Anyone with information is asked to contact police.
