A BURMESE python was spotted and seized near the entrance of a residential compound next to the OCT East theme park in Yantian District on Friday, the Shenzhen Economic Daily reported.

Pythons are a first-class protected species in China. The python caught Friday was sent to the city’s wildlife protection station and was released back to nature the same day, according to the report.

A driver discovered the python in the grass near the residential compound’s entrance Friday afternoon. Fearing the python might hurt people in the neighborhood or get hit by a passing car, the driver notified a security guard on duty at the estate entrance.

A handful of security guards from the residential compound arrived at the scene with tools and attempted to capture the python. The python was described as being 3 meters long and weighing over 20 kilograms.

The python was discovered with a frog or rat in its mouth. The animal tried to escape, but was seized by the security guards who later contacted the wildlife protection station.

Staffers from the protection center put the python into a bag and returned to their office. Since the python was in a healthy physical condition, it was released back to nature in a remote area.

Staffers at the protection station reminded residents to stay away from pythons and to refrain from attempting to capture one without professional help.

(Zhang Qian)