2006 brought us the Hollywood movie "Snakes on a Plane" and in 2021, 15 years later, we're getting "snake on a car".
On August 25, one Deborah Sim shared a 13-second video on the Singapore Wildlife Sightings Facebook group showing a vehicle that appears to be a grey Honda Shuttle slowly driving off.
Nothing out of the ordinary, really.
Except for the huge python that was lazing on the roof of the car.
Video by Deborah Sim.
Besides Sim herself who was recording this curious sighting, there were at least two other curious onlookers in her video who were capturing this rare sight.
The car even stopped at one point with the driver turning his head towards the window to briefly check out the commotion behind his car before driving off. It was unclear from video if the driver was aware of the unexpected hitch-hiker.
While the Singaporean car plate reinforced the strong likelihood that this incident happened in Singapore, Sim did not identify the neighbourhood nor the area where the video was taken.
While there were no explanation for how the snake ended up on the car in the first place, two netizens speculated that it might have fallen off a tree.
Sim's cheeky caption encouraged others to "buy 4D", alluding to the uncommon nature of such a sight.
A number of netizens on Roads.sg, where the video was reposted, expressed interest in deciphering the number (it's either 257 or 267) perhaps to buy lottery or just to satisfy their curiosity.
Some netizens left comments, questioning why the onlookers were focused on recording the scene instead of informing the driver.
Mothership has reached out to ACRES and will update the article when we receive a response.
Earlier this month, the National Parks Board (NParks) said that it received 200 reports related to cobra sightings alone in the past year.
Snakes in cars
In January 2020, a python slithered into the engine compartment of a taxi.
Snakes might take shelter in a vehicle, especially if the engine was recently switched on.
This is due to the cold-blooded nature of reptiles, which cause them to seek warmth from their surroundings.
Reticulated pythons are mainly active at night and so they usually rest in the day in warm, dark spaces.
Pythons not uncommon in S’pore
Reticulated pythons are native to Singapore so it is not unusual to spot them here.
Occasionally they are found in areas like drains, canals and parks, as pythons prey on rats and small birds.
They are not venomous, although like all large animals, they can be dangerous if provoked.
What to do if you encounter a snake
If you ever encounter a snake, the first step is to remain calm and slowly move away from the snake.
Keep a safe distance from the snake (at least two metres) and do not attempt to handle it on your own.
The snake will not attack unless it feels provoked.
For more information, you can visit NParks's advisory or ACRES's advisory on snake encounters.
More python sightings
Top images via Deborah Sim's video.