KOTA KINABALU: Fangs and scales did not scare rescuers who were called to remove snakes found in kitchens, shops and other residential areas across the state over the weekend.
In two cases reported in Labuan, Civil Defence Force officials were first called to remove a black snake with yellow stripes near a security post at the Bukit Kuda dam area at 1.21am yesterday.
A security guard who managed to capture the reptile earlier handed it over to the responders for further action.
At 6.33am, they received another call, this time from a resident at Kg Rancha-Rancha Laut where a snake was found coiled up under a kitchen sink.
Rescuers quickly removed the python. Animals and humans were unharmed in both cases.
On Saturday, a car owner at Taman Eramas 1, Beaufort district, was shocked to see something peeking from underneath his car bonnet, and realised that it was a snake resting at the car bumper.
Responders were called to remove the 1m-long python.
On Friday, Civil Defence officials in Kota Marudu district were also alerted to a snake call from a house at Kg Damai.
The 400g snake measuring around 0.33m was easily retrieved from the kitchen area and taken away.
Usually, snakes that are captured from residential or commercial areas would either be placed in their natural habitat, far from humans or handed over to wildlife officials for further action.
Earlier this year, Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) deputy chief commissioner (Operations) Ghazali Abd Rahman said that they recorded about 140,000 emergency cases involving snake captures nationwide in 2025, making it one of the agency’s most frequent operations.
He said the increase was mainly due to prolonged hot weather and rapid development in residential areas, which have forced wildlife out of their natural habitats.
