AN INDIAN forest ranger found himself in a tight situation with a powerful rock python recently, when attempting to capture it.
Sanjay Dutta, the local forest ranger in Jalpaiguri, a city in northeast India, was called upon to remove the 5.4 metre snake - using an animal control pole and thick gloves he managed to pick it up just behind the head.
At this proud moment, a little hubris came into play and he wanted a photograph with the snake coiled around his neck.
With a wild animal threatened, giving it such a choice opportunity was very unwise, and almost saw to his demise, but for the onlookers who helped him unravel the constrictor.
While on the subject of slithering reptiles, here's a tip: if your pharmacy is invaded by a snake, don't use a flammable liquid to deter your intruder.
On Monday, a somewhat panicked homeowner in Siuntio, west of Helsinki, Finland, tried spraying an invading snake with gasoline, triggering a chain reaction that was to cost him about 15,000 Euros (AU$23,000).
Finnish public broadcaster YLE reported on Tuesday that some of the flammable liquid landed on a nearby lawnmower that was still hot enough to ignite a fire.
Flames spread quickly in the extremely dry conditions, damaging the exterior wall and attic of his wooden house.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 21 Jun 18
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