Rattlesnake hides in Ferrari, exits on showroom floor in western Canada, rescuers say

A rattlesnake slid into a Ferrari in western Canada and managed to ride about 250 miles in style before being discovered at a dealership, according to the Wildlife Rescue Association of British Columbia.

It’s still a mystery where the Northern Pacific rattlesnake hid during its road trip from Osoyoos to Vancouver. However, the venomous passenger survived the journey without injury — and no humans were bitten.

The discovery was made June 9, after the luxury car was returned to Ferrari of Vancouver and taken by elevator to a parking spot on the third floor, the association reports. The snake exited overnight, and was spotted the next morning “wandering around underneath the car.”

Dealership staff initially mistook it for harmless garter snake, the association says. However, a photo was requested and wildlife experts informed employees it was far from harmless. Northern pacific rattlesnakes are “dangerously venomous” and bites require hospitalization, according to Californiaherps.com.

Details about the car’s model were not shared, but the association says the snake clearly had “the need for speed.”

“This is a once in a lifetime experience for us,” the association reported in a video.

“They (the dealership) were wonderful about it, said: ‘We didn’t want to hurt it.’ So, they kind of used a broom and pushed it into a box and they called us.”

A volunteer picked up the snake — named Enzo — and brought it to “Dewdney Animal Hospital Ltd. in Maple Ridge for an assessment,” the association reported June 13.

It was during the exam that a microchip was found, linking the snake to a research project at the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Center near Osoyoos, officials said.

The project was thrown into disarray last summer when a wildfire “tore through” the area, scattering the snakes, the association reports.

Thanks to the chip, rescuers knew exactly where to take the Enzo.

He made his trip home in the past few days, via a far less expensive gray Toyota Tacoma, according to Dewdney Animal Hospital. A video, posted June 21, reports the snake was freed near the same spot where he was last encountered by researchers.

This story was originally published June 21, 2022 at 12:59 PM with the headline "Rattlesnake hides in Ferrari, exits on showroom floor in western Canada, rescuers say."