Chef-owner Willin Low fears for his cat after 3m-long python devours neighbour's chicken

The early bird may catch the worm, but what if the worm was a snake instead?

Celebrity chef Willin Low's neighbour seems to have discovered the answer to this the hard way today.

Early this morning (April 13), Low responded to his neighbour's call for help and found that his neighbour's pet chicken had been partially swallowed by a 3m-long python.

"Early bird catches the worm, but kena eaten by a snake," chef Low wrote on his Instastory post.

Although Low, 50, appears light-hearted in his Instastory posts about the incident, he is not without his fears.

"My biggest concern about snakes is this one," he said, referring to his cat.

The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) told AsiaOne that they had attended to a call about this snake today.

"As it had eaten a chicken, our rescue staff had to be careful to be gentle with the snake so that it does not regurgitate the chicken," Acres said, adding that the snake was safely retrieved but the chicken could not be saved.

In Low's Instastory, we can see Acres volunteers manually removing the python from the ditch and then placing it in a large blue container.

Low, an ex-lawyer-turned-chef, is the chef-owner of Wild Rocket Group with famed restaurants Relish and Roketto Mod-Sin Izakaya under its brand.

Low, who lives in a a two-storey terrace house with his 82-year-old mother, even gave this 3m-long python the nickname 'Pedro'.

According to Low, he encountered a similar incident a month ago with a smaller python nicknamed 'Penelope' which was subsequently taken by Acres.

Low's concerns about his cat's safety are likely valid. 

Last January, a couple that moved to Singapore from Australia was horrified to discover a 3m-long python wrapped around their pet Pomeranian, swallowing their dog's head.

A community cat in Jurong West also faced the same fate when another 3m-long python devoured it before retreating to a nearby drain.

"Snakes like reticulated pythons are part of our local fauna," Acres added. "They are gentle animals who only become defensive when provoked. If the public see any wild animals in distress, do call the Acres 24-hour wildlife rescue hotline at 97837782."

NParks also warns against approaching or handling snakes when encountered in the wild, especially if the snake is in its natural habitat. 

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khooyihang@asiaone.com