As Singapore is essentially a concrete jungle, wildlife may sometimes encroach upon urban areas and make surprise appearances in unlikely places.
One of the more recent cases of this involved a python that was found coiled inside a car in Marine Parade, causing alarm to residents.
Eventually, it was caught by brave members of the public.
In a TikTok video posted on Saturday (28 Oct), the python could be seen casually lepak-ing in the bonnet of a black car parked in an HDB carpark.
A man standing next to the car seemed unperturbed by the snake, however, even smiling as he held a long stick.
From the characteristics of the block behind, especially the Subway outlet, it appeared to be Block 57 Marine Terrace.
Google Street View even shows what appears to be the same black car parked in the carpark behind the block.
When the man tried to poke the snake with his stick, a woman warned him not to do so.
Saying that the authorities would arrive to take it away, she reasoned that the situation would become worse if people tried to touch it.
As that happened, the python slithered further into the car, prompting onlookers to express dismay, saying it would be more difficult to catch it now.
A netizen who viewed the video suggested that the snake went deeper into the car as it got electrocuted.
In a second TikTok video, members of the public are seen literally taking things into their own hands and catching the python by themselves.
It starts off with the snake out of the car and on the ground, with one man actually holding on to it with his bare hands and apparently trying to stuff it into a bag.
As the snake wriggles, two other men pin one end of it down using two poles.
The first man then holds the snake down with his foot as the group tries to push the snake into the bag.
They finally manage to get the snake into the bag, and the video ends.
The OP said he was one of the men who helped catch the snake, saying it was a “fun day” being a “hero” for the neighbourhood.
While the fate of the python is uncertain, perhaps it wasn’t a good idea for members of the public to catch it.
In February, a snake was seen on a sidewalk in Bukit Panjang and trapped in a dustbin by an elderly man.
Unfortunately, it later died from its injuries.
Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) co-chief executive officer Kalai Vanan Balakrishnan told MS News that the snake sustained severe injuries from the capture.
He said that misinformation breeds the fear of snakes, but oftentimes, these creatures don’t pose much of a danger.
He also reminded the public that if they encounter a snake, they should keep a safe distance and call the ACRES hotline at 97837782 for advice.
Never attempt to provoke, trap, or catch the animal, he warned.
Hopefully, the python found in Marine Parade didn’t suffer injuries and was released humanely.
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Featured image adapted from @sebastianraj07 on TikTok and @22_das_93 on TikTok.
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