Snakes creeping out Bangkok

[Mid]

Snakes creeping out Bangkok
27 Dec 2010

As the capital of Thailand continues growing, it is encroaching on the habitat of these reptiles.



Residents in Bangkok are facing a new challenge - snakes.

With the city growing its also encroaching on the habitat of these reptiles, especially pythons.

The city's fire department is being used to deal with the problem.

Al Jazeera's Aela Callan reports from Thailand's capital.

english.aljazeera.net

[good2bhappy]

always seeing them here in Minburi
and monitor lizards

[robuzo]

I've seen rats walk right past cats in my neighborhood, the cats doing their best MIB impersonation- "I don't see nuttin'." The more pythons around the better I reckon.

[Bower]

Is there anything left alive in the national park they get taken too ?

[robuzo]

Is there anything left alive in the national park they get taken too ?

Something tells me that, despite protests to the contrary, these snakes don't get escorted to Khao Yai.

[somtamslap]

Is there anything left alive in the national park they get taken too ?

I'm thinking it's Khao Yai judging by what the bird said in the vid..cheers chaps, just keep dumping the fuckers on my doorstep.

[robuzo]

Is there anything left alive in the national park they get taken too ?

I'm thinking it's Khao Yai judging by what the bird said in the vid..cheers chaps, just keep dumping the fuckers on my doorstep.

If they get dumped on anyone's doorstep it will be as wallets and shoes. I've seen big retics in Khao Yai, but I bet they are easier to find in Krung Thep. Lots of prey items here in town, and places to hide.

[DJ Pat]

Seen a big python across a small lane in a Ratchayotin backstreet, and the motorbike taxi guy wouldn't move until he knew it had safely slithered across the road. In fact a few vehicles had to wait.

Which I thought was quite humane for a race of people who can't wait to pile six kids onto a motorcycle with them.

[hopskimoet]

Seen a few monitor lizards strolling along the irrigation channels in Chainat and they were big bastards. Also, had the fright of my life whilst sitting out the back of the wifes gaff. There I sat, taking pictures of the flora and fauna, when all of a sudden and just three feet away from me a huge python slid out of the thicket and made a beline for the next bush. My missus screamed and I just managed to get a picture of the tail end.

It was the first time I have ever seen a snake that huge.

[somtamslap]

I was fortunate enough to witness a full on scuffle between a retic and a monitor lizard when I was living in amongst of the paddies in Saraburi. Cheeky bastard monitor bit the poor fucker's head off.

[hopskimoet]

Are there laws in Thailand preventing you from eating montior lizards?

[somtamslap]

Don't think so..'colleagues' of mine used to eat them..

Come to think of it, pretty much anything goes..

[hopskimoet]

I swear that the thai guy that picked up a troublesome dog the wife owned ate it. He looked like he need to eat something. The dog was a nightmare and it just had to go. I liked the dog. So, along came this old guy, on his 100 year old bee in a jam jar, put the dog in a burlap sack, smiled and then fucked off. I sat there thinking....he's going to eat it....

[somtamslap]

They come round here in trucks looking for strays..

Oh well, when in Rome...live like a retard.

They'll stroke them and play ball with them until their ripe for a meal..

That Monitor Lizard meat goes for 600bt a kilo apparently.

[Bettyboo]

There I sat, taking pictures of the flora and fauna, when all of a sudden and just three feet away from me a huge python slid out of the thicket and made a beline for the next bush. My missus screamed and I just managed to get a picture of the tail end. It was the first time the wife had ever seen a snake that huge.

Pictures, mate - even if they're only the tail end...

[hopskimoet]

I'll post it later. It's at home on the camera.

[Stranger]

Interesting.

[Moonraker]

Seen a big python across a small lane in a Ratchayotin backstreet, and the motorbike taxi guy wouldn't move until he knew it had safely slithered across the road. In fact a few vehicles had to wait.

Which I thought was quite humane for a race of people who can't wait to pile six kids onto a motorcycle with them.

I think that's more to do with superstition than humanity. I was waiting for a python to cross a road once, all traffic had stopped.

When I commented I was surprised they didn't just run over it, which seems the Thai way to do things, I was told it would be unlucky. Nothing to do with the well being of the snake.

[The Fresh Prince]

When we had a snake in our garden we didn't know who to call and neither did anybody else for that matter.

I went down to the snake farm on Rama 4 to see if they wanted to come and get it and after an hours lecture about Cobra's from a 90 year old dude who thought I was there to see a snake show, someone finally gave me a dudes number and said "Just pay his petrol and he'll get it."

Called him up and he wanted 4000bt. Sod that, so I paid a laborer from a near by building site 200bt to come round and sort it out. By the time all this had happened the snake had fucked off anyway.