• Outdoors Outdoors

Giant python swallows 3 ducks behind farmer's house, then gets hauled back to the Sundarbans

"Later, we managed to capture it safely and handed it over to the Forest Department."

A close-up of a colorful snake resting on brown mulch, featuring distinct patterns and vivid scales.

Photo Credit: iStock

A giant python that swallowed three ducks behind a farmer's house in a village next to the Sundarbans mangrove forest in Bagerhat, Bangladesh, ended up on a one-way trip back to the wild after rescuers pulled it from a paddy field.

What happened?

After local farmer Ilias Matubbar called for help, rescuers from Wild Team and the Village Tiger Response Team went to Shoronkhola in Bagerhat, BSS reported.

According to Matubbar, he followed unusual sounds from his ducks to the field behind his house and found the python there. He said the snake had already swallowed three of the birds.

Md Alam Howlader, a Wild Team field facilitator, noted the operation's riskiness when the python tried to attack the rescuers. Fortunately, with help from members of both teams, they were able to capture the snake without getting hurt.

"Using special techniques, we were able to capture it safely and hand it over to the Forest Department. The python is around 15 feet long and weighs nearly [55 pounds]," he said.

According to BSS, Forest Department officials later released the snake into a forest area east of the range office.

Why does it matter?

When farms, homes, and livestock sit directly beside wild habitat, predators can be drawn to easy meals — in this case, ducks in a yard instead of prey deeper in the forest.

For a farmer, losing three ducks can be a meaningful blow to household income and food security. For the python, wandering into a village can quickly turn deadly if frightened residents try to kill it.

A fast, trained response helped prevent that outcome here.

The Sundarbans is one of the world's most important ecosystems, and animals leaving the forest can reflect mounting pressure at habitat edges for nearby communities.

Stories like this echo other wildlife-rescue reports that show how swift intervention can protect both animals and local livelihoods.

What are people saying?

"After spotting the python, I quickly returned home and informed the rescuers," Matubbar said of the matter.

"We found the huge python lying in the paddy field after swallowing ducks," VTRT member Md Hasan Munsi confirmed. "Later, we managed to capture it safely and handed it over to the Forest Department."

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