Exotic snake on the loose in Sydney, coastal residents alerted

Australians warned of escaped boa constrictor in Sydney suburb, residents urged to report sightings for capture.

Whether its pounding surf, man-eating crocodiles, or predatory sharks -- Australians are used to keeping their eyes peeled when they're near the water.

Now residents of one coastal neighbourhood in Sydney are also being told to watch out for an escaped exotic snake.

Officials said Thursday (April 10, 2025) they had been "alerted to a sighting of a Boa constrictor" slithering around the waterside suburb of Sylvania.

"Please do not approach the animal," the Department of Primary Industries for New South Wales (NSW) said in a statement.

"If safe to do so, take a photo and contact us so that we can identify and attempt to capture the snake."

Video posted to social media showed the girthy critter slowly worming across a waterside footpath next to a beach.

Native to Central and South America, boa constrictors are one of the world's largest species of snake.