UPDATE: Sept. 6: The snake has now been adopted.
UPDATE: Aug. 25. The snake has now been caught:
Previous story from Aug. 18:
VICTORIA – Something sinister is slithering below the streets of Victoria.
Staff in the British Columbia capital were using a remote camera to investigate reports of a sinkhole near the downtown core when they spotted a snake in the storm drain.
Mike Ippon, manager of utility operations, says staff are certain it’s either a boa constrictor or a python, although a snake expert has not confirmed the species.
Ippon says the camera operator estimates the reptile is between one and two metres in length.
Animal control officers suspect they are dealing with an escaped pet, but they failed to lure the snake out of the storm drain on Wednesday.
The pipe has been sealed off and another attempt is being planned.