Wildlife sighted out and about during this circuit breaker period has caused quite a buzz among stay-at-home humans.

A footage of a large snake that was slithering outside Marsiling MRT station went viral on Twitter on May 3, 2020.

The tweet has since garnered over 1,800 shares.

Spotted snake while out to get groceries

The woman who spotted the snake said in her tweet: "I was strolling to NTUC to get groceries when this big girl came out of nowhere. Nature is healing we are the virus (sic)."

She added that she had called NParks and subsequently called wildlife rescue group ACRES for assistance.

https://twitter.com/anymalien/status/1256876996891602946

The area outside the MRT station was cordoned off by an SMRT staff, according to the woman's tweet.

A sign was put up stating: "Beware of snake."

Snake confirmed to be a king cobra

In a separate tweet, the woman said that ACRES had identified the snake to be a king cobra, a venomous snake species native to Singapore.

https://twitter.com/anymalien/status/1256892988027858945

She explained that the king cobra initially came from a nearby flat's lift lobby.

However, a couple of men scared the animal away, causing it to slither towards Marsiling MRT station.

https://twitter.com/anymalien/status/1256910500719296512

Captured and released by ACRES

The woman later uploaded a video of two ACRES staff safely capturing the king cobra.

https://twitter.com/anymalien/status/1256910582634012672

Responding to queries from Mothership, ACRES said that they received a call regarding a king cobra at Marsiling MRT station at 5pm on May 3.

ACRES added:

"King cobras are rare in Singapore and protected by law. It is strange that a such a shy and forest species had ventured into the heartlands.

However, we believe that the snake likely ended up there through canal and drainage networks which are likely connected to nearby green spaces like Sungei Cina and the central nature reserve.

The snake, probably feeling threatened by people crowding, had found a cozy spot to hide in among the soil. It had found a hole to go into but we managed to get the snake before it fully went inside. "

ACRES also confirmed that the king cobra, which was three metres long, was unharmed and released at a suitable location.

Here's a video of the rescue mission, courtesy of ACRES:

What to do if you come across a snake

According to ACRES, members of the public should remain calm if they come across a snake, such as the king cobra.

You should then call ACRES or NParks immediately for assistance.

ACRES also urged the public not to crowd around the animal for two main reasons:

1. It will cause the wild animal to be stressed and it could potentially try to defend itself.
2. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, it is important to ensure social distancing at all times.

Read more here.

Top images from @anymalien/Twitter & courtesy of ACRES.