Snake on the loose in a Calgary apartment caught

A pest control company has retrieved the snake reported to police as being on the loose in a southeast apartment on Thursday night.

On Saturday, city officials confirmed it is a Corn Snake, which is a popular as a pet and found at many pet stores.

A man in the southeast came home from work Thursday to find a brown snake, which was roughly a half metre long, slither out of his TV stand into his couch, then disappear.

A City of Calgary news release had said earlier that the man had been unpacking his suitcase from a trip to India, but CBC reporter Devin Heroux later found out that the man was just arriving home from his job.

The man immediately left his Fish Creek Park apartment and called the police.

He told police, "it went one direction, I went the other," said Insp. Patty McCallum.

Police then called in a snake expert and searched the building for four hours, but didn't find anything.

The man later returned to his home and slept in his own bed after police reassured him the snake was not in the apartment.

An animal control company set up 60 traps around the apartment.

The city says the snake is alive and well and is being held by the pest control company.