A massive reticulated python has been rescued after becoming entangled in a string of festive lights 15 feet above the ground.
Members of the Animal Affairs Research and Education Society of Singapore (ACRES) were called to the scene to rescue the snake, which may have been up to 10ft long, from its dizzying perch.
“Reticulated pythons are agile and capable climbers,” Kalai Vanan, co-executive director of ACRES, told Newsweek . “We have also noticed that pythons often climb structures to escape a threat or when they feel vulnerable.
“The python might actually have been hit by a vehicle and climbed up to feel safe, [or] it might have climbed onto the structure because it felt threatened, perhaps by a crowd. We checked the snake and we didn’t see any wounds. .”
The reticulated python coiled around the festive lights, 15 feet in the air. He had to be rescued. Kalai/ACRES
The reticulated python is one of the longest snakes in the world, regularly reaching over 20 feet in length, with the longest on record measuring over 32 feet. Despite widespread hunting for commercial snakeskin, these animals have managed to maintain fairly stable populations, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the species as “least concern” on its list of threatened animals.
The species are native to Southeast Asia, and although they are generally found in forests, grasslands, and tropical rainforests, they are highly adaptable to different habitats. Kalai said the snakes were “quite common” in Singapore: “They use our extensive [sewer] drainage network to move where they have availability of prey like rats.”
Images of the python were shared on TikTok, showing ACRES rescuers attempting to dislodge the snake. Finally, they decided to remove the string of lights to prevent the python from falling onto the road.
In a second video, Kalai and his team can be seen placing the recovered snake on a transporter to transport it to safety.
“We have rescued pythons from every situation imaginable. From being entangled in networks to being damaged by people. Most of the time, it is due to misconceptions and fears among people that lead to rescuing the snake.”
Like all constrictor snakes, the reticulated python is nonvenomous and kills its prey by suffocation. Attacks on humans are rare, but not unheard of: there are numerous reports of people being eaten by these snakes, including a woman in Indonesia whose body was found inside a 23-foot python.
Kalai said that if you see one of these snakes, there is no need to panic: “Keep calm: snakes are usually more afraid of us than we are of them. Keep your distance, take a photo of the snake and ask for advice. from a wildlife rescue center near you Do not try to catch it yourself or provoke it.
“If you feel the snake is a threat, the last thing you should do is get close to it, which can cause the snake to fight back.”
