This could have been one of those awful pranks that some TV shows specialise in. And yet, it isn't. Recently, employees at a bank in Nanning, southern China, had the unpleasant surprise of seeing a python fall from the ceiling during their morning briefing.
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While the employees did not seem to enjoy the surprise, neither did the animal, which immediately tried to hide behind a sofa nearby. Non-venomous pythons prefer to use constriction to control their prey and do not have a habit of attacking humans. Fortunately, the incident was frightening but caused no harm.
The bank's staff called for help and the five-kilo, 1.5 metre-long snake was gently captured before being placed in a bag and handed over to a nearby wildlife centre.
The second python captured in two years
The only python living in the wild in China is the Burmese python, which can measure up to six metres and weigh about fifty kilos. These measurements make it one of the biggest snakes in the world. The intruder belonged to a private individual, who lives close to the bank. The specialists who captured it believe it had entered the building's attic looking for food.
Interest in exotic species is booming in China nowadays, with many protected specimens being caught and poached. Legal or not, this snake will probably be more at peace in a terrarium.
Ironically, this is not the first time a snake has been captured at this facility. In fact, last year, local firefighters had been called to capture another python.
