Police in Gia Hanh Commune said on October 21 that local authorities had persuaded the family to surrender the python for handling in accordance with regulations.
The python, more than 2 metres long, was handed over to the authorities (Photo: Police).
According to police, the man had received the Burmese python from an acquaintance more than a month earlier and kept it as a pet.
A local official recently discovered the situation and reported it to the authorities. Police in Gia Hanh then worked with the commune People’s Committee and Can Loc forest rangers to explain the regulations and encourage the family to hand over the animal.
The family agreed, recognising that the python was growing larger and could escape its enclosure, potentially posing a danger.
On October 20, the python was transferred to Vu Quang National Park in Ha Tinh Province, where it will receive care and a health assessment before being released into its natural habitat.
Police said the Burmese python (Python bivittatus) is listed in Group IIB of Vietnam’s classification of endangered, precious and rare forest animals. Keeping the species in captivity or breeding it commercially requires compliance with legal conditions and licensing procedures.
Police urged residents not to illegally buy, sell, keep or breed wildlife species protected under Vietnamese law, warning that violations could result in legal consequences.