The legend of “Wessie” the snake captured the hearts of Mainers last year, but experts say the famous reptile has likely passed on already.
While many in the state want the legend of the 10-foot-long snake to live on, snake experts say he likely hasn’t survived, according to The Press Herald.
A biologist at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife said that the giant snake probably didn’t make it past October. The coldblooded reptile likely froze to death since it can only survive in warm-weather climates.
Wessie, named after the town it was spotted in, made headlines in June when police officers spotted him in Westbrook around the Riverbank Park area. Snake skin of a similar size was found in the same area two months later, which lead some to believe that Wessie was still slithering around in Maine.
Nobody knew how the snake - presumed to be a boa or python - got there, but legends began to spring up around the reptile. A following of wannabe snake trackers started the “Where’s Wessie” trend that has become a part of the folklore in Maine.
While the snake is probably not with us right now, his Twitter account seems to be alive and well. “Wessie P. Thon” claims to be on vacation in a warmer area and that he will return to Maine next summer.
