A six-foot-long python, weighing 1.5 kilograms, was recently found at a poultry farm in Miagao’s Barangay Kirayan Tacas. The snake was eventually turned over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR-CENRO) in Guimbal, where it was identified as a reticulated python.
The python was temporarily kept at the CENRO Wildlife Rescue Center before being released back into the wild.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list, the reticulated python is classified as “least concern,” which means the species is not at risk or endangered.
“We hope our communities keep turning them over for safe release and not kill them,” urged DENR Regional Executive Director Francisco E. Milla, Jr. “It’s best not to harm them when people see them.”
According to Australia’s National Zoo and Aquarium, the reticulated python is native to Southeast Asia and can grow to as long as 10 meters (nearly 33 feet) in length. They are non-venomous and often feed on small mammals and birds, along with larger animals such as deer and pigs./WDJ