Massive Python Gets Tangled in Lights 15 Feet in the Air

An enormous reticulated python has been rescued after getting tangled in a string of festive lights 15 feet above the ground.

Members of Singapore's Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) were called to the scene to rescue the snake, which may have been as long as 10 feet, from its vertiginous perch.

"Reticulated pythons are agile and able climbers," Kalai Vanan, co-CEO of ACRES, told Newsweek. "We have also noticed that pythons tend to often climb structures to get away from a threat or when they feel vulnerable.

"The python could have actually been run over by a vehicle and climbed to feel safe, [or] it could have climbed the structure as it was feeling threatened, perhaps by a crowd. We did check the snake and did not see any injuries."

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The reticulated python is one of the longest snakes in the world and regularly reaches over 20 feet in length—the longest on record measured more than 32 feet. Despite widespread hunting for commercial snakeskin, these animals have managed to maintain fairly stable populations, with the International Union for Conservation of Nature categorizing the species as being of "least concern" on its list of threatened animals.

The species are native to Southeast Asia and, although they are usually found in woodlands, grasslands and rainforests, are highly adaptable to different habitats. Kalai said that the snakes were "pretty common" in Singapore: "They use our extensive [sewer] drainage network to move around where they have prey availability of rats."

Footage of the python was shared on TikTok, showing the ACRES rescuers attempting to dislodge the snake. Eventually, they decided to take down the string of lights to avoid the python falling off onto the road.

In a second video, Kalai and his team can be seen placing the recovered snake into a carrier to transport it to safety.

"We have rescued pythons from every situation imaginable. From being entangled in nets to being harmed by people. Most of the time, it's due to misconceptions and fears among people which leads to the snake being rescued."

Like all constrictor snakes, the reticulated python is non-venomous 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 generally more scared of us than we are of them. Keep a distance, take a photo of the snake and seek advice from a wildlife rescue center near you. Do not try to catch it by yourself or provoke it.

"If you feel the snake is a threat, the last thing you should do is to approach it, which may cause the snake to defend itself."

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