(AP) -- It's not unusual for deer or even the occasional bear to turn up in northern Michigan towns, where you're never far from the woods. But a boa constrictor? Traverse City officers alerted by a woman's screams found the 4-foot-long snake a short distance from their headquarters Tuesday.

The woman had been removing wood pallets from behind a business when she came across the slithering reptile. Using a pole designed for snaring aggressive dogs, police nabbed the snake and placed it in a bag. A resident familiar with large snakes has agreed to care for it.

Police say they think the snake was a pet that escaped from its owner or was set free. It couldn't have survived for long in the area's cool climate.

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