A stop at the restroom during a visit to Singapore's Bird Paradise became alarming when a woman noticed that what she had just brushed with her foot was actually a snake.
With her 6-year-old daughter still in one of the cubicles, the reptile moved through the toilet stalls, turning the park visit into a frightening moment.
Here's what to know
On Aug. 5, near the performance area toilets at Bird Paradise, Li Ting, the girl's mother and a tourist visiting Singapore, said she was waiting outside when she felt her foot connect with something unexpected. In an account she posted on the social media app Xiaohongshu on Aug. 8, Li said she then realized it was a snake, according to AsiaOne.
"My mind went blank the entire time. Although I was shocked by it, I guess this is a different kind of experience," she wrote.
A TikTok video shared by the outlet showed a black snake crossing the restroom floor before disappearing. Li said that it entered the second cubicle, terrified her daughter who was inside one of the stalls, and eventually escaped through a drain in the third.
@asiaone "My mind went blank the entire time. Although I was shocked by it, I guess this is a different kind of experience", said the child's mother. #sgnews #Singapore #BirdParadise #Snake #Wildlife ♬ original sound - AsiaOne
There was no report of a bite or direct attack.
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More background
According to AsiaOne, Mandai Conservation Group said the parks are home to both animals in its care and local wildlife such as colugos, macaques, and reptiles from the surrounding landscape. That means wild animals may sometimes pass through public areas as part of the parks' coexistence with nearby nature.
Experts generally caution against demonizing snakes. Many species avoid people and will retreat if left undisturbed, which appears to be what happened here when the animal slipped into the drain.
What can be done?
Mandai Wildlife Group said visitors who come across wildlife should not try to touch or handle it. Instead, they should move away to a safe distance and inform staff members trained to respond to such sightings throughout the parks.
As Mandai's spokesperson put it: "For everyone's safety and the well-being of the animal, we encourage guests who encounter wildlife to calmly move to a safe distance and give the animal space."
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