On Saturday, a 36-year-old man strolled through Dusseldorf's central train station with a 1.8-meter-long (5.9-foot-long) boa constrictor around his neck.

The sight of the man with a large snake on his shoulders caused excitement among people at the station.

Police later confiscated the reptile with the help of a fire department animal expert.

Police said the man could not prove he was the owner of the snake. Also, carrying a snake in public is not considered appropriate.

Authorities will hand the boa constrictor over to a zoo on Sunday. Until then, it will stay with the fire department.

The boa constrictor, also known as the red-tailed boa or the common boa, is a large, nonvenomous snake that is usually kept and bred in captivity. It is often found in tropical North, Central and South America, as well as some islands in the Caribbean.

shs/jlw (AFP, dpa)

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