Residents at this Discovery Bay apartment probably didn’t expect to wake up to this spectacle.
A video filmed by Facebook user Pam Berte early Friday shows a man crouching down in the bushes and emerging with a massive snake in his hands. Wearing gloves, he puts the reptile—which puts up a bit of a fight—into a white cloth bag with the help of a security guard.
Snake experts told Coconuts Hong Kong that the reptile, from its size and coloration, appears to be a Burmese python.
The snake wrangling happened at around 7:40am on Friday outside La Vista, a residential complex in Discovery Bay, according to the description of a video posted from another angle.
Read more: The illustrated Coconuts guide to Hong Kong’s venomous snakes
According to Hong Kong Snake ID, a Burmese python is one of the largest species of snakes in Hong Kong discernible by its brown patches and its tan to green-ish yellow scales. Burmese pythons can reportedly grow up to 8 meters long—though are usually closer to 4 meters—and can exceed 80kg when fully grown. The python is not a poisonous species and is not known to attack humans.
The reptile is mostly found by forested areas, grasslands and marshes, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is listed as a vulnerable species.
Sightings of Burmese pythons are reported in media from time to time—and they’re not always pretty. Last year, a hiker in Sai Kung captured a video of a python swallowing a wild pig whole. In 2017, a python took down a baby calf, Sai Kung Buzz reported.
More often, though, Burmese pythons might just be looking for a good time. One slithered its way to a Tsuen Wan highway just past midnight and was taken to Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden after the capture, according to a 2016 report.
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