'Healthy and in very good spirits': Snake captured in Fort Rouge checked out by vet
A snake that made Winnipeg headlines after being on the loose in the city for nearly two days before police caught it has been checked out by a veterinarian and is now in proper care.
After two days of searching, police apprehended the snake about 200 metres from where it was first spotted in the Fort Rouge area.
The snake was then taken to Grant Park Animal Hospital since it had a small lesion on its side.
"The snake was surprisingly healthy and in very good spirits," said veterinarian Jonas Watson. "[It was] a friendly snake, obviously an animal that's been handled by someone for a long time and was a very easy patient for us."
Originally described as being eight feet long by Winnipeg police, the snake turned out to be much smaller.
"We are pretty sure it is an unusual colour morph of a corn snake," said Watson. "It was about 40 inches or so, so large for a corn snake, but not the beast the public was concerned about the last couple of days."
Watson said corn snakes are nonvenomous and common in the pet trade.
"We presume that this was somebody's pet that had gotten loose somehow," he said. "There's a chance that someone set it free, but it looked like an animal that had been reasonably cared for."
According to Watson, this incident should be used as an example about responsible keeping of exotic animals.
He said snakes and other reptiles have very particular needs that can cause a variety of medical problems if not met. He also noted keeping them in captivity can stop them from doing some of their natural behaviours.
"This might give us the chance to consider that some animals might not be better off living in captivity," Watson said.
The City of Winnipeg said the snake is legal under the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw and will be held as a stray. The city said it will find a new home for the snake if it isn't claimed.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
An apartment block collapses in a Russian border city after heavy shelling, injuring over a dozen
An apartment block partially collapsed in the Russian border city of Belgorod on Sunday, leaving at least 19 injured. Officials blamed Ukrainian shelling and said there were also likely deaths.
'Reimagining Mother's Day': Toronto woman creates Motherless Day event after losing mom
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Flash floods and cold lava flow hit Indonesia's Sumatra island. At least 37 people were killed
Heavy rains and torrents of cold lava and mud flowing down a volcano's slopes on Indonesia’s Sumatra island triggered flash floods that killed at least 37 people and more than a dozen others were missing, officials said Sunday.
Swiss fans get ready to welcome Eurovision winner Nemo back home
Swiss Eurovision fans were getting ready Sunday to give a hero's welcome to singer Nemo, who won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest with "The Code," an operatic pop-rap ode to the singer’s journey toward embracing a nongender identity.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
'It was violent': Police tear down U of A pro-Palestinian encampment Saturday morning
Multiple people at the protest camp torn down at the University of Alberta campus Saturday say police's actions against protesters were "violent" and "disproportionate."
Michael Cohen: A challenging star witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial
He once said he would take a bullet for Donald Trump. Now Michael Cohen is prosecutors' biggest piece of legal ammunition in the former president's hush money trial.