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Snakes on the move in Kathu

PHUKET: Two king cobras were spotted at a construction workers’ camp in Kathu and only one was caught after a two-hour effort by rescue workers on Saturday (Mar 2).

animalsSafety
By The Phuket News

Monday 4 March 2019 03:00 PM


 

Kusoldharm Foundation was notified of the sighting at 7:30pm Saturday evening.

Mr Panthakorn Pongpao, head of the rescue division of Kathu Municipality, who is also a Kusoldharm Foundation rescue volunteer, told The Phuket News, “After receiving notification of the sighting, rescue workers arrived at the camp on Nakoh Rd near Loch Palm Golf Club in Kathu.”

“We arrived to find two king cobras hiding near a waterway on open grassland,” Mr Panthakorn explained. “It took 20 rescue workers two hours to catch one of the snakes while the other escaped.”

Once caught, the snake was inspected and was found to measure approximately five-metres in length and weighed 20 kilograms.

“The team safely took the snake away and released it into a jungle far away from people,” Mr Panthakorn confirmed.

On Sunday, Mr Panthakorn was called out to another snake sighting in Kathu, this time a python that had eaten a chicken after attacking a chicken coop in Moo Baan Sing Tao near Kathu Waterfall.

“The incident happened at about 11am yesterday. It only took us a few minutes to catch the python as it was moving very slowly after eating the chicken,” Mr Panthkorn explained. “We safely released it into a jungle far away.”

In case of emergency snake sightings, people should call 1669 or 199.