hiding in the neighborhood
wendy permalink | categories: environment, health, law enforcement, neighborhood, paying rent, tampaby wendy @ 2:15 pm
First off I would like to thank the brave officers who came to my assistance last evening. You see, a neighbor had warned me that a very large boa constrictor had been spotted near our houses. CRIKEY! I have two cats and a morsel sized dog, not to mention a small child. Living as I do IN THE CITY, I don’t usually have too much concern about wild exotic animals that could eat my critters. I was unsettled by the news so I went out to take a look in my front yard and immediately spotted the villain slithering towards my backyard.
I called animal services but it was after hours so I called 9-1-1 and the operator had the temerity to tell me that she hoped it had eaten recently. Hah, hah, very funny. The first two officers arrived right away but despite my taunting, wouldn’t go wrangle the thing until the third, more experienced with snakes, officer arrived. Then the real snake handlers arrived and I kid you not, picked up the snake and kissed it on the head. “It’s docile. Anybody else want to give it a kiss?”
Then all my neighbors posed with it for pictures and it was all roses and sunshine. But docile or not, a snake’s gotta eat and even my bony little Italian Greyhound would look like dessert to a hungry reptile.
So that’s my story and here’s my question: What’s the strangest animal you’ve heard about turning up in Tampa or its environs?
Tags: environment, health, law enforcement, neighborhood, paying rent, tampa
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July 1st, 2006 at 5:57 pm
Wild boar in Riverview. Diamondback rattler and a coral snake in Thonotosassa years ago.
Oh and deer in Wesley Chapel.
July 1st, 2006 at 7:58 pm
I saw a hen and a bunch of chicks pecking around someone’s yard on my street…not wild but kind of odd considering I live in an urban area.
July 1st, 2006 at 10:24 pm
Not around Tampa, but we did have a cougar in our barn when I lived in southeast TX. We heard some catterwauling one night and ran out to see what was going on. Like any good person in a position of authority (I was 8), I sent my brother to go see what it was. Before he got to the pasture gate, it came out of the barn and started to run across the back pasture. We were glad it didn’t get any of the calves, but we were a little more cautious in the future about going out there at night without a flashlight.
July 1st, 2006 at 11:37 pm
A Walabe (Wall a Bee) in Largo. When right through the KMart on 66th Street and Ulmerton Road. When the police captured it, I believe it kicked out the back window.
July 2nd, 2006 at 12:12 am
Strangest animal I’ve heard about…Bobcats in Pinellas county. That surprised me, I had thought the area we lived in (Seminole)was too populated for bobcats, but apparently I was wrong. I haven’t seen them, but friends of mine have had glimpses of them. Was also interested to find out we have coyotes roaming in the county as well.
I once saw a herd of goats running down a street near here, (yes, this IS the city), apparently they got out of their pen at a neighboring house.
Then there’s the time I walked right smack into Hulk Hogan, and that was pretty damned wild too.
July 2nd, 2006 at 2:41 pm
About 6 months ago I saw a scorpion walking across a back alley in Ybor City
July 3rd, 2006 at 9:10 am
I was in the backyard taking pictures of a molted snake skin in situ for my teaching files when a buzzard swooped down from a nearby house to eat the road kill possum that had perished the night before. Not all that unusual if we lived out in the country, but this is right in the city where the lots are only 50×100.