These tips might come in handy one day, especially with the increasing number of python sightings inside homes, particularly during the rainy season or in flood-prone areas.
Photo via Facebook (FARID SQUAD KING COBRA)
Recently, the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia (JBPM) held a live demonstration that caught the attention of many Malaysians, attracting over 429,000 views! The session, shared on the Facebook page Farid Squad King Cobra, featured valuable advice on what to do if you're ever caught in a terrifying situation—alone and being strangled by a python.
During the demonstration, a brave Abang Bomba willingly allowed a python to coil around his leg, while his colleague explained the crucial steps to follow if this ever happens to you. The first piece of advice? Focus on the snake’s head. No matter the species, the head is a snake’s weakest point. If you can securely grab hold of it, you have a fighting chance.
However, with non-venomous snakes like pythons, holding onto their heads doesn't automatically mean you're free from danger. Even when the Abang Bomba had a firm grip on the python’s head, the snake’s body remained tightly coiled around his leg, refusing to budge despite his strong efforts to shake it off. In fact, the more he moved, the tighter the python’s grip became—a life-threatening scenario for anyone without help.
So, how do you escape? The demonstration continued with the Abang Bomba showing a vital trick: using your knee to pin the python’s head. By locking the snake’s head under his knee and then carefully unwrapping its body starting from the tail, he was able to loosen the snake’s grip and free himself.
The key takeaway here is to remain calm. Panicking and struggling only encourages the python to constrict harder. By focusing on controlling the snake’s head and slowly untangling its body, you give yourself a better chance of survival in a solo encounter with a python.
Hopefully, these tips will stay with you—just in case.