Rescuers saved a more than 12-foot Southern African python from Scottburgh's Cutty Sark Beach in South Africa after it was spotted struggling in the surf, with a crowd of onlookers adding to the reptile's distress.
Here's what to know
After people at Cutty Sark Beach noticed the python struggling in the waves, snake rescuers Miguel da Fonseca and Marik responded, Independent on Saturday reported. The reptile was secured and is expected to be returned to the wild.
According to Da Fonseca, the growing crowd seemed to add to the snake's stress. "It has been trying to get in and out of the waves because of the people who are standing around it. It looks so tired, just sitting in the open and exposed like that," he said.
On the sand, the huge python looked drained and exposed, appearing "vulnerable" despite its size, the Independent on Saturday said.
What started as an unusual sight for onlookers appears to have become a harder rescue as more people surrounded a stressed wild animal.
More background
Its size, combined with the number of people nearby, increased the danger for both the python and those around it. Seeing a python that large in the surf naturally draws attention, but a cluster of onlookers can also make it harder for the animal to get away.
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Da Fonseca said he wanted to move the snake out of the water so she wouldn't get wet, and Independent on Saturday reported that she seemed injured. She may have already been weakened before rescuers tried to secure her.
What's being done?
Da Fonseca and Marik led the response, working to secure the python and guide her into a bag so they could take her off the shoreline. They were trying to move her safely away from the water and the surrounding crowd.
Da Fonseca also noted how stressful the rescue was for the snake. "This is so stressful for her. She's old. She might be over 10 years old," he said while trying to secure the python.
After the rescue at Cutty Sark Beach, the Southern African python will be released back into its natural habitat. For people who stumble across similar rescues, giving wildlife space can help keep an animal calmer and make it easier for trained responders to save it.
Da Fonseca said, "She's absolutely stunning. This is a beast of a snake."
Where can I learn more?
Similar wildlife encounters show how quickly beach and water scenes can get dangerous when snakes and crowds mix.
• On an Australian beach, a vivid banded sea krait drew attention despite rarely showing aggression.
• In Borneo, a tour guide was pulled underwater by a massive python in a terrifying struggle.
• In the Philippines, rescuers helped an injured python and water monitor recover after painful neglect.
• On Ibiza, experts warned that invasive snakes advancing across the island are devastating native wildlife.
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