It’s a big month for serpents and headlines, here in Malaysia; from the ‘world’s longest snake’ (which sadly died soon after it was captured) to the death of a Standard One pupil in Kelantan from a lethal snake bite.
At least three cases in schools have been reported since the seven-year-old girl died two weeks ago, and latest on the list of reptiles in schools, is the discovery of a five-metre long python in a drain at a school in Tumpat, Kelantan.
A report by the New Straits Times said a school guard discovered the 30kg python as he walked towards a nearby surau at Sekolah Kebangsaan Pasir Pekan at 6am on Wednesday.
“The school guard was on his way to a nearby surau to perform Subuh prayers when he spotted the reptile. He immediately called for help,” headmaster Mohd Hasmy Hashim was quoted as saying.
More than 700 cases of snake bites have been reported since January, with a bulk of them happening in the northern states where temperatures have soared due to the prolonged El Nino induced hot and dry weather.
The python has reportedly been taken to the Civil Defence Department’s office in Tumpat.
