Python at Teck Whye coffee shop lunges at crowd after being prodded with broom

A python spotted at a coffee shop along Teck Whye Lane was seen lunging at some members of the public when they tried to capture it using brooms.

In a video posted to the Sgfollowsall Instagram page on Wednesday (Aug 13), a large python can be seen slithering along the roof of a coffee shop located at Block 145 Teck Whye Lane as a crowd watches.

One man is then seen standing on a chair while trying to take a video of the snake.

Shortly after this, the python falls off the roof and starts slithering away. A few men give chase, hitting it with brooms.

The snake then lunges at them, seemingly in retaliation, and this causes some people in the crowd to scream.

Throughout the nearly three-minute-long video, various onlookers prod, hit or pin down the snake as it tries to go further into the coffee shop and even into a stall.

One man can also be seen gripping onto the snake's tail in an attempt to hold it back as it thrashes and resists.

One grabs the snake's head

The ordeal ended when a middle-aged man grabbed the python's head and shoved it into a plastic bag before instructing another man holding its tail to do the same.

The video — which has garnered over 299,000 views and 7,000 likes as of Thursday — was met with mixed reactions.

Some netizens criticised some of the men for taking matters into their own hands, while others praised them for trying to protect those at the scene.

One netizen commented: "Oh dear! How can they hit the python with a broom? They could've left it on the roof and call Acres to handle it."

"Are they professional snake catchers? If not, they should call someone who knows how to hold the snake properly," read another comment.

Another netizen countered such statements and said: "Good man, poor handling but the effort to protect the public is admirable."

Another comment read: "Power lah uncle!"

Keep a safe distance, monitor movement: Acres

The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) advises members of the public who encounter a snake in urban areas to keep a safe distance when they encounter a snake in urban areas and monitor its movement.

Snakes may end up in such areas when tracking their prey or if they are injured.

Acres also urges them to call its wildlife rescue hotline at 9783 7782 and take note of information such as length, thickness, colour, and markings to help them identify the snake. Members of the public can also help by taking a picture from a safe distance.

Those who have pets should also contain them for their own safety, according to Acres.

AsiaOne has reached out to Acres for comment.

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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com