On Friday (10 Feb) night, an elderly man caught sight of a snake slithering along the sidewalk at Jelapang Road in Bukit Panjang.
Fearing that it would hurt others, he trapped the reptile with a dustbin and stood in the rain warning others for about an hour.
A passer-by later notified the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) about the snake. Unfortunately, it sustained severe injuries and later died.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
ACRES is now reminding the public never to attempt to provoke, trap, or catch animals on their own.
At about 8.31pm on Friday (10 Feb), 38-year-old Ms Feng was on the way home with her daughter and helper when they came across a snake trapped underneath a dustbin near Block 532 Jalapang Road.
An elderly man in his 60s stood 1m to 2m away from it and warned them not to get too close.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Photos show that the snake was trapped with most of its body outside the dustbin.
Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, Ms Feng said she initially thought the man was there to catch the snake.
But she found it strange that he was standing in the rain and repeatedly reminding pedestrians not to startle it.
It was only after talking to him that she realised he was just another passer-by like her.
Ms Feng shared that a dustbin and plastic bag had been used to trap the snake.
The well-meaning man proceeded to stand in the rain for nearly an hour, warning others not to get close.
Shin Min Daily News reported that the man decided to take matters into his own hands because he did not know who to call for help to catch the snake.
Ms Feng then informed an animal welfare group about the matter and brought the man to the nearby HDB building for shelter.
Speaking to MS News, ACRES co-chief executive officer Kalai Vanan Balakrishnan confirmed that they received a call about the snake along Jelapang Road at about 9.30pm.
But upon their arrival, they found that a heavy dustbin lid had been placed on the snake.
Because of this cruel act, the snake sustained severe injuries and eventually passed away.
Image courtesy of ACRES
Mr Kalai shared that the snake was a keeled rat snake, a large snake that’s uncommon here in Singapore.
It was about 2m long. According to the National Parks Board (NParks), these snakes can grow up to 4m in length.
Mr Kalai said that it is misinformation that breeds the fear of snakes but oftentimes, these creatures do not pose much of a danger.
He reminds the public that if they encounter a snake, they should keep a safe distance and call the ACRES hotline at 97837782 for advice.
Ultimately, he warned that one should never attempt to provoke, trap, or catch the animal on their own.
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News and courtesy of ACRES.
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