Python stuck in drain

By Chai Hung Yin JURONG East residents who spotted a python near their block on Sunday morning tried to take matters into their own hand. They made a lot of noise to shoo the reptile away and some even tried to catch the python themselves. But all they did was scare the 2m-long python into squeezing into and hiding in a pipe nearby. The python was finally rescued by the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) after four hours. Mr Tan Gim Chay, 58, an engineer, said he was on his way to the market at about 9am when he heard from his friends that a big python had been seen about two blocks from his flat. He quickly went home and grabbed his camera. But by the time he rushed to the scene, he saw the people from Acres were already there. "When I reached there, I saw that the entrance to the pipe where the python had slithered into was covered up with a gunnysack," he said. The pipe had covered the pipe with a gunnysack. Initially, the snake was spotted near the drain, he said. But the commotion then made the python take refuge in a pipe, not knowing how else to escape. Mr Hafizzan Shah, 25, an animal care officer who was part of the two-member rescue team from Acres, said they were alerted around 9.30am of a python being spotted at the void deck near the lift lobby at Block 319, Jurong East Street 31. No escape He said: "We did a site survey and noted that there was no other escape route for the snake." They then had to drill open one side of the cement over the pipe and cover it with a towel. He said: "We cannot rescue a snake by pulling its tail because it will hurt its spine. So we had to cut the pipe above the ground on the other end to reduce the stress on the snake." They had earlier covered the entrance into the pipe with a gunnysack. Mr Hafizzan said: "This creates a dark space for the snake to slide into and it was the only way out for the python." When they finally managed to get hold of the reptile, they had to coax the python to slide out by itself. Mr Hafizzan said: "The initial plan was to drill the whole pipe out, but it would cause too much stress on the python. So we did a waiting game instead." After drilling, it took about an hour to coax the snake to come out from hiding. Mr Hafizzan, who was seen holding on to the tail portion of the reptile, said: "I was helping to manoeuvre the snake to head towards the right direction, which was the entrance with the gunnysack." He said that normally, a python would turn back to attack whoever catches hold of its tail. "But this python was in a difficult situation. We had to apply a bit of pressure on it to make it go the right way." As the drama heightened, some 30 curious onlookers, including children and elderly, had gathered. Mr Tan said: "There was a lot of excitement. Many people where whipping out their phones to take pictures." Finally, the python managed to slither out from hiding. Mr Hafizzan holding the snake. While his colleague, Ms Charlene Tan, 30, grabbed hold of its head with a white towel, Mr Hafizzan injected a microchip into its tail. He said: "It is to keep track of pythons that have been rescued as well as to keep track of its population." The drama was finally over at 1.30pm. But Mr Hafizzan advised people to let the experts do the work, or call the Acres 24-hour hotline: 9783-7782. He said: "The members of the public tried to catch the python themselves, that's why the python was in a difficult situation." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- wei hong The python was first seen by the Jurong East residents at a sunday morning. The reason that the python was there was unknown, but then it was very dangerous to try and approach the python and catch it. What if they were bitten by the python? Furthermore it was 2m long!!! I will see this as an act of trying to be a heroine, thinking that they are very brave and are able to catch it. These peoples will only be afraid when misfortune has happen and start to regret about it. Moreover, what will they do even if they catch it? kill it? Personally i do not believe that they will hand the python they catch to the Acres, as it was too troublesome. For me, i would definitely not touch a snake unless they attack me. So to conclude, it is still the best to let the experts to handle it as we cannot do anything much either.   Jane Cheong Jurong East resident who spotted a python near their block on Sunday morning tried to take matters into their own hand. Why these animal run out from jungle? They cannot survive in jungle? I don’t know whether python is extinct animal or not. So I do some online research and found that python have different type of species. Some of these species is very rare and list as endangered animals.             This information let me think about global-warming, pollution, natural disaster and also environment change, but humans change larger regions more quickly than natural occurrences. This means that humans bear the responsibility for many animal species becoming endangered or extinct. Then one question is coming. How to prevent animal extinction? What can you do to protect the animals from extinct?             You can design a website devoted entirely to the potential extinction of an animal species. This site should provide an online presence for your cause and offer a central organizing point for concerned citizens around the world. Beside, you can send donations to funds and foundations devoted to the protection of animals from mass extinction. It is important to conduct research on how donations are used to find a wildlife fund with a good track record. In addition, mobilize your friends, family and fellow conservationists to write letters to government officials on a regular basis. You should give everyone a contact list of state and federal officials who have the power to protect endangered animals.             This is some of the way that you can help these animals. Through this article I know that we have to cherish our earth, so that animal can survive in this beautiful earth. Hope that all of you can concern about this topic. Melissa Tang :)) After reading this article, I feel that if it was me there at the moment, I would immediately call the Pest Control Team to catch the python. I would not try to take the matter into my own hands by trying to shoo it away or by catching it myself like what the residents did as mentioned in this article as python is poisonous. Moreover, we may make things worse like as mentioned in this article that the 2m long python ended up stuck in a pipe nearby. By trying to catch the python, we may endanger our lives as it may bite us and its fangs are poisonous. In addition, I do not think anyone has the right skill to catch the python as it is rare to see a python in the neighbourhood. By trying to shoo it away is also not right as it has caused the python to be stuck in a pipe nearby while trying to escape. Pythons are in extinction soon so we should not kill any more pythons. This action has endangered the python's live but luckily the Acres came and saved the python's life. In conclusion, I feel that if met with such cases again, the residents should just stay calm and keep themselves away from the animal. Then they should call the Pest Control to deal with the animal. In this way, both the residents and animal would not get hurt. SuGAnthi... After reading this article, I was kind of taken back as it was not a small reptile but it was a 2m long python. I have only see pythons in televisions and even in the Zoo not at any HDB blocks. Even though the python has attracted everyone’s attention, the Jurong East residents should not have take things into their own hands by trying to shoo it or get rid of it. They should have alerted the Pest control department regarding this matter. Everyone knows pythons are poisonous and we are not able to handle it in a skillful way. The residents actually thought by shooing it away it might solve the problem but it made things worst by making the species stuck in the pipe for very long. It had no way to escape until the rescue team had to find ways to remove the python without hurting it. Even though they are poisonous species, nobody wants to hurt or even harm them. They should be brought to their own habitat. In conclusion, this incident may have aroused everyone’s attention and excitement as it was a python found in the neighbourhood. In my opinion,  if such incidents happened again its best the residents called the pest control immediately and the acres rescue team should educate the people on ways to handle such situation as they maybe young children or even elderly people around. Always be alert and do the right thing. Don’t take things into own hands!