Broome County officials say the 911 emergency dispatch center received dozens of calls related to the reported disappearance of a six-and-a-half long pet snake in Binghamton.

The Office of Emergency Services Tuesday night issued a statement after word spread that the owner of the boa constrictor discovered it was missing.

According to the statement, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation "has been notified and is investigating" the case.

County officials indicated state agency representatives said the snake is "not a danger to adult humans."

The statement said if the boa constrictor is found, people should "exercise caution and keep small children and small animals away."

Anyone who locates the snake was advised to notify the Emergency Services office immediately at 607.778.1911.

The boa constrictor had been kept in an enclosure in a large apartment building a short distance from Binghamton High School on the city's West Side.

The snake's owner said on Sunday he discovered his pet named "Bella" was missing from the enclosure. He estimated the weight of the boa constrictor at about 20 pounds.

The owner said he's "very sorry" about the situation. He said he believes it's likely the snake had not made it out of his apartment building.

The man estimated the snake was about three or four years old, although he had only had the pet for about two weeks. He described the boa constrictor as "very friendly" and said she's "not going to attack" anyone.

The owner notified the Broome County Humane Society on Tuesday about the snake's disappearance. The agency then reported the lost pet on its Facebook page.

Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com

For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.

More From 99.1 The Whale