We got a voice mail from North Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Terrie Johnston this afternoon at 2:50 PM, saying, “I hope you’re not at Cowen Park playfield…uh playground. A seven-foot yellow python got loose and he’s headed for the playground.”

Now, that’s an amusing story, but Cowen Park is not in Ravenna. So I just mention the missing snake on twitter, like this:

.@SeattlePD's Terrie Johnston:"A seven-foot yellow python got loose and is headed for the [Cowen Park] playground." Heads-up, Roosevelt!

— Ravenna Blog (@RavennaBlog) August 13, 2012

A few minutes later, the official Seattle Police Department twitter feed says this:

Officers investigating report that a 6 ft yellow python is loose in Ravenna park. If you see a snake, plz call 911! cc: @SamuelLJackson

— Seattle Police Department (@SeattlePD) August 13, 2012

Oh no! Wrong neighborhood! And wrong park! Lower case “p” or not, people are going to get confused!

But I check with Terrie Johnston again, to make sure. “61st and Brooklyn Cowen Park” is the email reply.

View Snake on the loose! in a larger map

Decidedly NOT Ravenna Park.

But the damage has been done. The SPD tweet has now been REtweeted over 300 times (probably because of that “Snakes on a Plane” movie reference being clever and all).

And, of course, someone has started a new twitter feed…FOR THE SNAKE:

Just out for a stroll, er slither, on a beautiful day. Heard there was some commotion on the other side of the park…

— Ravenna Park Python (@RavennaPkPython) August 13, 2012

Thankfully, the SPD just updated the story on their blog, and you can read it here (“Officers On Python Patrol After Snake Escapes In Ravenna Neighborhood“).

An excerpt for you:

As police officers and officials from Seattle parks department and Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife search the neighborhood and Cowen/Ravenna Park for the snake, you and your small pets should keep to the trails, and stay away from drainage ditches, thick foliage, and hollow logs, according to Seattle’s resident snake expert, Peter Miller.

Miller, reptile keeper at Woodland Park Zoo, estimates the snake is around 15-20 pounds and says it “has the potential” to be dangerous. ”These guys are ambush predators,” he says. “They find a well protected covered area and they sit and they wait.”

KING 5 news Reporter John Langeler got the location right, though:

7 ft. python named "Timid" loose in Cowen Park. Spoke with owner's friends who aren't worried. @KING5Seattle pic.twitter.com/905naMpb

— John Langeler (@JLangelerNews) August 14, 2012

And it looks like Seattle Parks and Recreation has put up signage.

John Langeler / KING 5

If Timid the Albino Python is found (yeah, his name is Timid), we’ll let you know here.