Boa constrictor loose in Addison Oaks won't keep me from favorite dog-walking trails

File this one under odd news.

Sensi and I at Addison Oak's disc golf course

I could hardly believe it yesterday when an editor emailed me an anonymous tip saying that a 12-foot boa constrictor was on the loose in Addison Oaks. In fact, I felt like there was a good chance this was either a big hoax on us, or a rumor.
Well, the 12-foot part is rumor. The boa constrictor loose in my favorite park, however? Not rumor. True.
The boa loose in the park is only 5-feet-long. I was told by park officials yesterday that it does not pose a threat to any humans, and that even small dogs and cats are unlikely to be bothered by this unwelcome guest.
So the big question is, how did the boa get into the park in the first place?

On the rock at Addison Oaks

Apparently, some guy thought it'd be a good idea to take his pet boa camping with him. It got loose. I don't know how that possibility didn't cross his mind before he packed up the boa in the pop-up, or if it did, why he didn't listen to that little voice ... Read the full story here, Camper loses boa constrictor at county park. 
Readers of this blog will be familiar with my favor for this park.
Ever since the weather broke, Sensi and I have been out there multiple times every week. I absolutely love the 2.5-mile Buhl Lake trail (I've never seen a dog off-leash there!) and in addition to that, my husband and I, our friends and dogs, usually play a couple rounds of disc golf on the beautiful and challenging 24-hole course at the park.
You can download a map of the Buhl Lake Trail by visiting my blog post, Know of a good place to walk dogs in Oakland County?
Now, I do have to say that I've been disappointed with the lack of leash rule enforcement on the disc golf course. In fact, it's darn near getting to the point that I'm afraid to take Sensi out there on the course with us.

Tree frog on hole 3. Photo by Allison Jagow.

I don't mind disc golfers whose dogs are trained to be off-leash while disc golfing and don't stray from their group, but that's frequently not the case.
Too often, dog owners think the disc golf course is the perfect place to let their untrained dogs off-leash to run around and explore the park. Newsflash: the disc golf course is not a dog park. We don't enjoy your dogs chasing after our discs and creating conflicts by approaching on-leash dogs.
And the bottom line is, park rules dictate all pets must be kept on a 6-foot-leash at all times. So keep'em leashed.

Cranes by the lake at Addison. Photo by Allison Jagow.

I don't feel threatened by the boa, especially since I follow the leash rules while at the park. My biggest concern is not for my dog — who would definitely fall into the too-large-to-be-boa-prey category — but for my friend's dog, a darling little pomeranian we fondly refer to as Sensi's girlfriend.
But again, we follow the leash laws. She's not running around exploring little nooks and crannies that may contain this 5-foot boa constrictor.

Blue Heron perched on tree. Photo by Allison Jagow.

I am a little excited about the rest of the summer at the park, now. My crew gets pretty deep into that park's natural areas and I think we have a better chance than the usual park-goer to spot this snake. I've programmed the park's number into my cellphone and if I spot it, I'll certainly be calling.
And taking video. And sharing that video with all of you.
Plus, if you're afraid of snakes, the boa constrictor should be the least of your concerns when it comes to visiting our county's incredible parks.
The county has confirmed that the Massausauga Rattlesnake — Michigan's only poisonous snake — is present among Addison Oaks' 1,140 acres.
Give me a choice between a 5-foot-boa and a rattlesnake and I'll take my chances with the boa any day over the poison-injecting rattlesnake.

Brent & I with our discs at Addison on our wedding day!

Neither snake is going to stop me from going to my favorite park, though.
Here's some dog blogger personal trivia: My husband and I even got married at Addison Oaks. After the wedding and reception, we even played a couple holes of disc golf!

Hope you all have enjoyed this selection of photos from my outings at Addison Oaks — the wildlife there is amazing without the help of this non-native boa!