Ball python survives trip into Windsor sewage plant

A ball python snake is recovering at the Windsor Essex County Humane Society after being found in a sewage treatment plant.

A routine inspection at a Windsor sewage plant quickly became a life-saving event for a 3.5-foot-long ball python.

The snake was found at the Little River Pollution Control Plant by Jeff Miller, a chief operator who makes the rounds at the plant as part of his regular duties to search for abnormalities and issues.

During a search on Friday, Miller found the ball python inside a bin, lucky to still be alive.

Ed Valdez, the executive director for Pollution Control for the city, told CTV News it was a “surprising” call to receive.

“Well, I wasn’t surprised until I saw what kind of snake it was and the size of it,” Valdez said.

A “bin” is the first screening of the process when the influent comes in from the sewer system, Valdez explained.

“He just inspects everything and lo and behold, he found this snake in the bin, which surprised him, too,” Valdez said

Fortunately, there wasn’t a significant amount of recent rainwater coursing through the system, which could have killed the snake.

So far, there’s no confirmation on how the snake ended up at the plant.

“How it got into the sewer collection system is unknown. I’m guessing it came in through one of the curbside catch basins,” Valdez said. “I doubt that it came through somebody’s toilet.”

Because the snake wasn’t fatally harmed, Valdez suspects it entered the system near the plant.

The City of Windsor has a bylaw in place restricting ownership of exotic animals.

For now, the snake is on the mend at the Windsor-Essex County Humane Society.

Lynnette Bain, the society’s executive director, believes the snake was a pet based on its comfort level being held.

“I really think that this was a case of an escape artist here, of this one getting out of someone’s home, or enclosure,” she said in an interview on Tuesday.

Staff at the humane society have affectionately named the snake Wilbur.

It’s believed Wilbur is about three to four years old and is likely a male.

Due to dehydration and damage to the scales, the shedding process has been more difficult, Bain said.

“We keep their enclosure anywhere from, like, 87 to 91°F, and they need certain humidity levels as well. So that’s a controlled environment that you do maintain within those temperature ranges and humidity levels,” Bain explained.

Over the coming weeks, staff will continue to monitor and aid Wilbur until he’s nursed back to good health.

Once it’s ready, the Humane Society will help find a new home for the snake.

“We will make sure that when we adopt out an exotic pet like Wilbur, that we’re doing a home visit. We’ll check to make sure you have the right enclosure and all the right education in place to be able to properly care for an animal like Wilbur,” Bain added.

While there’s no certainty in how Wilbur escaped, Bain urged residents never to abandon their animals, especially those not native to the area.