Elderly man attempts to catch python near Kallang Bahru coffee shop, gets bitten

In trying to subdue a python and prevent it from potentially hurting others, one man ended up getting bitten by it instead. 

A python was spotted inside a drain about four to five metres from a coffee shop at Block 66 Kallang Bahru on Thursday (Nov 16) evening, reported Shin Min Daily News. 

Worried that the python would enter the coffee shop and harm the other patrons, a group of diners decided to try and pull it out of the drain. 

One of them, a 42-year-old construction worker surnamed Huang, told Shin Min that the group spent about 20 minutes trying to get the reptile out. 

Huang also showed Shin Min a video clip of the incident, which showed the one-metre long python violently flinching after getting caught. 

"After we caught the python, an uncle in his 60s reached out to grab it, and he got bitten in the forearm," recounted Huang. 

When Shin Min visited the coffee shop at about 9pm on Thursday, some personnel from the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) were on scene trying to catch the python. 

The injured man was seated on a chair, pressing a piece of tissue on his wound to stop the bleeding. 

An acquaintance of the elderly man, who gave his name as Lin, said that the elderly man tried to capture the python and release it at a nearby river.

Lin continued: "The python also bit my elder brother on the leg, but thankfully he's alright. He's going to see a doctor [just in case]." 

Shin Min also spoke to Zheng, a 38-year-old housewife who was with her daughter in the vicinity at the time of the incident.

"The footfall here is quite high. If there are more pythons in this area, I'm worried about safety of the people here, especially the children," she commented. 

In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force confirmed that they received a call for assistance at Block 66 Kallang Bahru at 8.45pm on Thursday. 

They added that one person was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. 

READ ALSO: 2m-long python found stuck in engine compartment of car in Marine Parade

claudiatan@asiaone.com