SINGAPORE - A cluster of 29 baby reticulated pythons were captured by Malaysia’s fire department, after a passer-by caught sight of the reptiles in a drain near a restaurant in Selangor’s Shah Alam city.

       In a Facebook post on Aug 8, the Shah Alam Fire and Rescue Department said it received a call about the snakes near Zhulafa restaurant on Aug 7.

       Department operations commander Radziah Osman said a fire engine and six firemen responded to the call at around 10pm, reported New Straits Times.

       A total of 29 pythons, each measuring between 30cm and 50cm long, were caught.

       “We believe the snakes hatched not too long ago based on their size,” Ms Radziah said.

       The reticulated python is the longest snake species in the world and typically grows to about 5m long, with the longest recorded at 10m. It is listed as a protected animal under Malaysia’s Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.

       Photos of the snakes captured by the Shah Alam fire department show the reptiles’ heads poking out from the drain, their bodies coiling around one another.

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       In a reel posted by the fire department, the snakes were seen collected in a bag.

       They were released safely at a remote location, Ms Radziah said.

       She said this was not the first time that many snakes were caught in the area.

       In 2023, the Shah Alam fire department caught 26 snakes from the same area.