Six-foot boa constrictor goes missing from beach in Tofino, B.C.

VICTORIA — A boa constrictor said to be six feet long remains on the loose after slithering away at Tofino’s Chesterman Beach on Vancouver Island’s West Coast.

James Rogers, co-founder of the Coastal Animal Rescue and Education Network in Tofino, says the young man who owns the snake reported it missing Monday after it disappeared Sunday afternoon.

Rogers says it is not clear why the owner took the exotic animal to the beach.

Rogers says anyone encountering the tan-coloured snake should contact his organization, adding that it has never dealt with a missing snake since it was formed 14 years ago.

Boa constrictors feed on lizards, rodents and birds, and B.C. categorizes them as restricted animals that cannot be released under any circumstances, requiring permits for owning and transporting them if they are longer than three metres.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2025.

Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press