A 50-kilogram python was discovered on Maotian Mountain in Zhuhai this past Sunday by two staff members working at the park.
The staff allegedly saw a Hainan mountain goat (海南东山羊) lying on the ground first, and it wasn’t until they scanned the surrounding area more closely that they spotted the python, which was well camouflaged among fallen leaves. A second goat was found within its bulging stomach.
Four or five staff members then proceeded to drag the python into a cage, inadvertently causing the python to spit out the goat it had just consumed in the process (hence the photo of two goats lying together on the ground).
The python was then locked in a cage, and Maotian staff claim they will hold a small ceremony to release the snake back into the wild at a later date. Apparently, anyone interested in seeing the snake up close is invited to attend.
This isn’t the first time Maotian Mountain has been visited by a massive Burmese python. In 2014, a three-meter-long python – also weighing roughly 50 kilograms – was found by staff members after it too consumed wild goats. The python was captured and released back into the wild under the supervision of a representative from the Golden Bay District Tourism Bureau (金湾区旅游局).
Maotian Mountain staff member Li Yonghua says his team has discovered numerous pythons on the mountain in recent years, which indicates that their efforts to preserve a natural ecological environment have been successful.
Pythons – unlike other species of snakes in Guangdong province – are typically afraid of humans, though special care is required when handling them. Nonetheless, anyone planning to hike in southern China during the spring and summer months should be wary and stay on designated paths.
READ MORE: Dangerous Animals of Guangdong
[Images via Tencent News, Wikipedia]
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