8-Foot-Long Boa Constrictor on the Loose in Connecticut Town

An 8-foot-long boa constrictor is on the loose in a Connecticut town after it slithered out of its owner's home.

Tesla the boa constrictor shocked the small town of East Haddam when she managed to escape from owner Rob Peach sometime last week.

The snake was filmed making its way across a street during a rainstorm on Sunday night.

First Selectman Rob Smith (D-East Haddam) said it stunned local residents, who told WTNH: "The first person who saw it said 'my God this must be something out of Africa.'"

But it wasn't until the Colombian red-tailed boa made it on social media on Sunday night that Peach realized the snake had made a sudden escape.

In a post shared in a local Facebook group, Peach said: "By now the word is out. My big, beautiful 8ft+ Boa is on the loose. I thought she was loose in my house/ wall."

He added: "Turns out, she's outside. She was spotted in the Creek Row/ Orchard row area a few days ago. We live very close to there. She doesn't eat live animals, she's very docile and non-aggressive.

"At this point, she is probably having respiratory issues from not being warm enough for an extended period of time, so she will more than likely have her head extended up in the air, with her mouth open."

Peach concluded his post: "She's just trying to breathe, her nose gets stuffy when she spends too much time away from her heat lamps."

He later told WTNH: "She likes to climb and she sits in the sun with us. She's literally, she's part of the family."

Peach, who told the network he used to work for Tesla, added: "The snake's name is Tessie it's short for Tesla."

He said if people spot the snake with its mouth open in the sun, it might look threatening, but that Tesla would only be trying to gasp for air as it struggles in colder temperatures and could show it may have a stuffy nose.

Peach added: "I'd just like to create some awareness that there is a big friendly snake out in the neighborhood and I don't want anything bad to happen."

Newsweek has contacted Peach for comment.

Tesla's escape comes weeks after another 8-foot-long boa made its daring getaway in Vancouver, Canada.

Vancouver Police said in a statement last month: "An 8-foot Colombian boa snake has been reported missing near Granville and 14th.

"Owner went to sleep and awoke to missing snake. It is believed to be docile but please take care in the area and report any sightings to police."