Forest rangers and people of Thanh An commune brought a reticulated python into the forest.

The reticulated python was discovered by people of Thanh An commune in the fields of Long Ban village.

On the afternoon of October 4, at the area where the python was discovered, which was the field of Long Ban village, Thanh An commune, local forest rangers, Mr. Nguyen Van Dien, Mr. Tong Van Duyen, Ms. Tran Thi Van Trang, along with representatives of civil servants, veterinary officers of Thanh An commune, and local people, made a record of the python's condition before releasing it into the forest.

Mr. Nguyen Van Dien, Forest Ranger of Thanh An Forest Ranger Department, said: On the afternoon of October 3, local forest rangers received information from people in the commune about the discovery of a python in a rice field. However, because the python was constantly moving between the dense rice fields, the authorities could not determine the exact weight and species.

The reticulated python was discovered by local people in a ditch on the afternoon of October 4.

On the afternoon of October 4, local forest rangers and people of Thanh An commune discovered a python in a water ditch in the middle of a field in Long Ban village.

"The individual is a reticulated python, about 2 meters long, the largest part of the body is about 8cm in diameter, and weighs about 7-8kg. When discovered, the python was healthy, had no scratches on its body, and had quick reflexes when it sensed movement..." - local forest ranger Nguyen Van Dien added.

In accordance with the provisions of the Forestry Law and the Law on Conservation of Rare and Precious Animals, witnessed by the people and authorities of Thanh An commune, the local forest rangers made a record and moved the python to release it into the natural forest.

Speaking more about the discovery of the reticulated python in the area, Mr. Quàng Văn Vương, a resident of Thanh An commune, said: While harvesting rice on the afternoon of October 3, people discovered the python and reported to the forest rangers to instruct people to monitor and protect the python. Many people heard about the python and came to see it, but absolutely no one threatened or chased it away; the python was safely protected and completely healthy.

"We, the people, consider it a good omen when there are wild animals in the fields. Therefore, we tell each other not to chase them away or make noise to scare the pythons..." - Mr. Quang Van Vuong added!

In the Red Book of Nature, the reticulated python belongs to the group IIB of endangered and rare wild animals, listed in the Vietnam Red Book. Exploitation, hunting and use of products from reticulated pythons are strictly prohibited.

The scientific name of the reticulated python is Python reticulatus; Identification features: Has a distinctive mesh pattern on its skin, which helps camouflage; the habitat of the reticulated python is usually in open forests, near rivers and streams, mainly on trees. In the ecosystem, the reticulated python helps control rodents and other small animals. But currently, the reticulated python is threatened by loss of habitat and hunting, so it needs to be strictly preserved.

Below are some pictures of the people and forest rangers of Thanh An commune moving the reticulated python to release it back into the wild.