A night out in Thailand turned into a wildlife rescue story after an intoxicated man brought a wild python home.
Even more amazingly, the man, who had no recollection of bringing the animal home, woke up to rescuers removing it from his house, Must Share News reported.
Here's what to know
According to the report, the man, identified only as Mr. Ratchata, had been out drinking with friends before they noticed a snake in the roadway blocking an area where they wanted to park.
Ratchata keeps a pet snake, and with an unused terrarium waiting at home, he chose to deal with the reptile himself, thinking that he would take it home as a pet.
He got out of the car, picked up the python, and, after standing with it long enough for his friends to capture videos of the encounter, suddenly hurried inside his home with the snake, per Must Share News.
Ratchata's behavior alarmed his friends, who later took steps to have rescuers safely remove the python.
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For his part, Ratchata said he had no recollection of the incident and had no idea what had happened when he woke up the following morning.
According to Must Share News, Ratchata said he came downstairs the next day after hearing noise and found rescue officers inside his home, moving one of his terrariums.
Ratchata said he did not understand what had happened until his friends showed him video of the incident.
Human-wildlife encounters
As BBC Future reported in its look at why wild animals attack humans, human expansion often creates conditions for dangerous encounters, even when an animal is not actively pursuing people.
In this case, the danger extended beyond Ratchata himself. His friends, domestic helper, and the rescue officers were all put in danger because of his foolhardy actions.
Additionally, Ratchata's attempt to turn a wild animal into a pet was illegal. Because the python is a protected animal, keeping it as a pet would have been illegal, according to Must Share News.
In a moment of levity, the rescue officers, apparently impressed by the snake handling skills Ratchata demonstrated on video, joked that their presence was unnecessary.
Where can I learn more?
Other python encounters in Southeast Asia and beyond show how quickly these situations can spiral out of control. These stories follow rescuers, homeowners, and wildlife handlers dealing with large snakes in streets, drains, and homes.
• In Indonesia, a wildlife influencer wrangles a python, saying he wanted it alive.
• In Singapore, contractors take swift action after workers spot a reticulated python in a drain.
• In Australia, a swollen python is pulled from beneath a home after swallowing a family cat.
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