Environment
Man directs python across road & into drain in Tuas, saves it from getting run over by vehicles
Why did the python cross the road?
January 21, 2025, 12:38 PM
Two friends found themselves in a peculiar situation on Jan. 19 around Tuas — guiding a reticulated python into a sewer.
Ho Song Thye and his friend were in the area at around 1am when they drove past what they thought was roadkill.
Out of curiosity, the pair decided to head back to check, and were surprised to find that the "roadkill" was in fact a live reticulated python.
Documenting the encounter in an Instagram post, Ho shared that the snake was "sprawled across two lanes in an area with heavy vehicle traffic".
In Ho's post, a heavy vehicle could be seen driving past in the video in the second lane, as Ho and his friend stood approximately one to two metres away from the python on the left-most lane of the road.
Ho explained that he and his friend decided to take matters into their own hands, and decided to usher the snake off the road to ensure its safety.
"We redirected oncoming lorries, and gently nudged it back toward a nearby drain," Ho wrote.
Ho shared that he and his friend, both Environmental Studies graduates from the National University of Singapore (NUS), discussed how to guide the python to safety.
One idea was to carry the snake to the pavement, since pythons are not venomous.
But they decided against carrying the snake, as a bite from the creature could be painful and lead to infection.
"So my friend decided to nudge the snake gently with his leg and that was when it started slithering," shared Ho.
Ho also made gestures at the snake, directing to towards the drain, until it had safely slithered in.
Screenshot via video by Ho Song Thye.
Ho added that while he and his friend were standing on the road with the python, they made sure to look out for heavy vehicles as well.
Human-wildlife conflict
Reflecting on the incident, Ho said that it had brought his attention to human-wildlife conflict in Singapore.
"Had we arrived five minutes later, we might have found a dead python instead," he said, adding that incidents of roadkill in Singapore are common.
He said that members of the public "may have a negative view towards snakes", recalling an incident where a group of men hit a python with various items, and eventually hacked it to death with a cleaver.
Ho also said snakes are "often misunderstood as dangerous or malevolent", highlighting that reticulated pythons are native to Singapore and "play a vital role in our ecosystem", such as by helping to control rodent populations in urban areas.
In response to a somewhat-alarmed comment on his post about the snake going into the "sewer", Ho explained that the drain was likely to be the habitat for many pythons in Singapore, as the environment here is "largely urbanised".
He said wildlife in Singapore are "increasingly exposed to urban landscapes", and that this explains the rise in sightings of wild animals like pythons and wild boars in urban areas.
He called for more education and awareness, so that humans and wildlife can coexist peacefully in Singapore.
What to do if you encounter a snake
Snakes are typically timid and only strike if provoked, cornered or handled inappropriately.
Should a snake be seen in the trees, a drain, or in green spaces, it is advised to leave them alone as these are their natural habitats, according to Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres).
If you happen to encounter a snake in your neighbourhood, do stay calm and keep a distance.
You can call NParks' Animal Response Centre at 1800 476 1600 or Acres at 9783 7782 for help.
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Top image from Ho Song Thye
