Giant python found on Malaysian building site

KUALA LUMPUR: A quarter-ton snake that was found nestling on a building site could be the longest ever captured in Malaysia,

The reticulated python was a whopping 7.5 meters ( 25 feet) long and weighed a staggering 250 kilograms (550 pounds).

The giant creature was discov- ered on Penang island by construc where it was fed and watered while wildlife experts were contacted.

However, the python died on Sunday after laying an egg, a spokesman for the civil defense department told AFP.

“We are so sad this happened,” he said. “We have rescued many other snakes and animals before. We’re not sure why the snake died.

“We fed it mice, other meats and gave (it) water, just like we gave other snakes in the past.”

Curious locals flocked to the glimpse of the mighty reptile, with one person offering 10,000 ringgit ($1,300) for it, The Star newspaper reported on its website.

The civil defense spokesman said the snake was certainly one of the longest found in Malaysia.

The longest snake in captivity -- also a reticulated python -- is a 7.67 meter specimen called Medusa, which lives in the United States, according to the website of Guinness World Records.

GIANT CATCHThis handout picture taken on April 7, 2016 and released by the Malaysia Civil Defense Department shows members of the Malaysia’s Civil Defense Force posing for pictures with a python that was caught near a tree at a construction site in Penang, outside Kuala Lumpur. One of the longest snakes captured in Malaysia died after laying an egg, authorities told Agence France-Presse on April 12.