In a bizarre incident, a woman flying at Tampa International Airport attempted to bring a 4-foot snake on her flight but was rejected by the airline, according to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Taking to social media, the TSA on Friday posted an x-ray of the woman's carry-on bag, showing the massive boa constrictor packed in a corner of the bag along with other items like shoes and a laptop. The officials informed the incident took place last month on December 15.
"There's a danger noodle in that bag...Our officers at Tampa International Airport didn't find this hyssssssterical! Coiled up in a passenger's carry-on was a 4' boa constrictor! We really have no adder-ation for discovering any pet going through an x-ray machine," TSA wrote in the caption.
Take a look below:
Further, in its post, the TSA asked people to check the rules for carrying pets set forth by their airlines before heading to the airport. It stated that snakes are not allowed in carry-on bags, but a few airlines allow them to be transported in check-in bags, as long as they are secured correctly.
"Do you have asp-irations of taking a snake on a plane? Don't get upsetti spaghetti by not understanding your airline's rules. For instance, airlines don't allow nope ropes in carry-on bags and only a few allow them to slither around in checked bags, if packaged correctly," the caption read.
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According to CBS News, the woman claimed that the snake, named Bartholomew, was "her emotional support pet". Once the airlines she was flying on were notified about the reptile, they ruled that the snake couldn't fly on the plane. TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said that the "TSA notified the airline that the woman (with the carry-on) was ticketed to fly on and the airline did not permit the snake on the plane," according to CNN.
Boa constrictors are non-venomous snakes, however, they can kill their prey by squeezing them in their strong coils.
