Even though Singapore is known to be an urban jungle, wildlife sightings are still quite common and often captured on camera.
From romps of otters scurrying about town, to wild boars in the heartlands, local residents have seen them all.
Recently, a snake was spotted preying on a lizard at Yishun Park, wrapping its body around the helpless reptile.
Instead of observing from a distance, a man apparently took it upon himself to ‘save’ the lizard from the snake’s deadly grip.
The act sparked a debate among netizens who wondered if instead of being a hero, the man may have disrupted the natural ecosystem.
In a post in the Singapore Wildlife Sightings group on Tuesday (9 Mar), Facebook user Ms Popovic shared a video of a snake coiled around a lizard.
In the video, what appears to be a Chrysopelea paradisi or Paradise Tree Snake is coiled around a lizard, ready to devour the helpless creature.
However, according to Ms Popovic, an uncle who also witnessed the scene had tried to rescue the lizard by hitting the snake.
In another video shared by Ms Popovic, the said uncle appeared to be hitting the snake as others looked on.
He managed to free the lizard, though whether the snake slithered away unscathed is unclear from the footage.
The post has since ignited a debate among netizens, with many agreeing that the uncle should not have interfered with nature.
This user pointed out that “one man’s meat is another man’s poison”, perhaps alluding to the fact that although the lizard’s fate may be unfortunate to some, it could have been essential to the snake’s survival.
Another user shared the same sentiments. He related back to the rules of nature, or rather the ecosystem, which he believes humans should not involve themselves in.
This netizen saw 2 sides of the same coin. While he understood that the uncle’s intentions were good, the snake inadvertently got hit, and had its next meal “stolen”.
MS News has reached out to NParks for further comments on the incident.
While these creatures fascinate us, we should approach all wildlife with precaution.
We may not know what dangers they may pose, and the consequences of any action we take.
Hence, it’s best to let Mother Nature be, or contact authorities like NParks who would know how to handle the situation better.
Do you agree with the uncle’s actions? Let us know in the comments below.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at hello@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Facebook and Facebook.
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