ALOR GAJAH: A four-metre-long python weighing approximately 20 kilogrammes was found nestled within the engine compartment of a Proton Wira car in Kampung Pantai Belimbing yesterday.
The vehicle's owner, Zaini Syawa, 54, recounted the incident that unfolded around 8am as he attempted to check the battery to start the car engine, which had been parked in the garage at home and connected with jumper cables.
According to Zaini, the car had remained unused for a year, given his preference for a motorcycle and an additional vehicle for commuting to work at a nearby quarry.
"When I lifted the car hood, I was taken aback by the sight of a reticulated python coiled within. The snake swiftly slammed the hood shut before darting towards a neighbouring friend's house to seek assistance.
"My friend promptly contacted the Alor Gajah Civil Defence Force (CDF), who efficiently removed the python in about an hour.
"At first, I thought it might be a sleeping cat, and perhaps the snake originated from the paddy field behind the house," Zaini shared during a recent interview.
This occurrence marks the first for Zaini, who suspects the python may have had its sights on preying on his neighbour's ducks.
The reptile had been encountered several times in the barn area.
Alor Gajah CDF Operations Disaster and Logistics officer, Lieutenant (PA) Abdul Hadi Baharom, detailed the swift response to the emergency call received at 8.20am.
"Upon arriving at the location by 8.50am, our team found a four-meter-long reticulated python coiled within the car's engine compartment.
"Despite the python's somewhat aggressive behaviour, our team successfully captured it in almost an hour and transported it back to the Alor Gajah CDF for further action," he explained.