Snake bites boy in downtown Greenville

A snake bit an 8-year-old boy in downtown Greenville, the Police Department said.

The snake’s owner was allowing people to pet and hold the snake near River Place on South Main Street, police said. When the boy did so about 5:20 p.m. Sunday, the snake bit him on the forearm, Officer Gilberto Franco, spokesman for the Police Department, said.

EMS treated the child at the scene, Franco said. The boy and his father were on vacation, visiting from Trenton, N.C., according to an incident report.

Animal control was contacted and determined there was no reason to seize the snake, police said. The nonvenomous snake was a 5-foot Colombian red-tailed boa, according to the police report.

This story was originally published June 27, 2016 at 10:44 PM with the headline "Snake bites boy in downtown Greenville."