A flock of inner-city chickens in Abbotsford are safe after a close call involving a five-foot-long albino Burmese python on Monday morning.

Abbotsford Police officers were dispatched to a home in the 3300 block of Mayfair just prior to 10 a.m. after a man discovered the large reptile lingering his yard, said Const. Ian MacDonald.

"This man calls after noticing a large snake in his yard eyeballing his chickens," said MacDonald.

"Needless to say . . . the officers who were dispatched were somewhat skeptical about the call."

Chickens, and much less pythons, in the centre of town aren't a common occurrence, noted MacDonald.

However, police did indeed arrive to find a large, yellowish python endangering a flock of fowl.

The chickens' owner suspected the snake belonged to a nearby neighbour.

When officers attended the home, the python's owner told police he knew the snake had escaped his enclosure, but he hadn't realized it had actually left the house.

The man safely retrieved his pet from his neighbour's yard without incident, said MacDonald.

"No persons, fowl, or other wildlife were injured," he said.

City bylaw officers were alerted and will ensure the reptile owner meets the requirements to keep an exotic animal within the city limits.

RBaker@abbotsfordtimes.com

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