Boa constrictor seized in raid
Authorities have swooped in on a Victorian home and caught a cold-blooded, illegal predator - a boa constrictor.
Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI) wildlife officers executed a search warrant at the Carrum Downs home with the help of Victoria Police following a tip-off from a member of the public.
The 1.5 metre-long snake was being kept as a pet and police have interviewed a resident of the home where the reptile was found.
DEPI senior investigator Katie Knight said Boa constrictors - native to Central and South America - are among the top five high-risk invasive animals found in Victoria and the slippy snakes can infect native Australian pythons with a virus.
"Boa constrictors are a controlled pest animal in Victoria as they can spread potentially devastating diseases to our native pythons," she said.
Keeping a Boa constrictor is a serious offence and large penalites can apply to anyone breeding, trading or keeping the illegal species.
