A family in Phu Tho Province has handed over a 4m-long reticulated python to forestry authorities after discovering the snake behind their home following heavy rain.
On the evening of July 8, after a downpour in Moi Nang Village, Nhan Nghia Commune, Bui Xuan Truong was inspecting the chicken coop behind his house with a flashlight when he spotted the large python slowly moving through dense vegetation.
He recorded a video of the snake and shared it on social media, where it quickly attracted widespread attention. Truong then called four neighbours to help capture the animal.
The python was handed over to forest rangers (Photo: Provided by the family).
Speaking to local Dantri/Dtinews, Truong said the python measured about 4m in length and weighed more than 30kg.
"The python was quite calm and showed no signs of aggression. We prepared a large bag and carefully guided its head inside before placing the rest of its body into the bag. The entire capture took about 10 minutes," he said.
After securing the snake, the group placed it in a metal cage normally used for chickens and reinforced it with steel wire to prevent the animal from escaping and posing a risk to people or livestock.
The python weighed about 38 kilogrammes including the cage and measured 3.6 metres long (Photo: Provided by the family).
Truong said it was only the second time he had seen such a large wild python.
"When I was about seven years old, villagers caught an 18kg python near a cave. Large pythons like this can prey on chickens and goats," he said.
Bui Van Phan, head of Moi Nang Village, said the family notified local forestry officials on July 9.
Forestry officers, together with representatives of the commune authorities and village officials, documented the incident before taking custody of the snake.
"The animal was identified as a reticulated python and has been handed over to forestry officials for release back into the forest," Bui Van Phan said.
The reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus) was included in Vietnam's Red Data Book in 1992 and remains classified as a critically endangered species because of its declining population in the wild over successive generations.