A massive 20ft female python was caught by villagers on the Malaysian island of Borneo and they shot dead the reptile before cooking and eating it.

Locals were out hunting when they heard strange noises coming from inside a fallen tree last week. They used a chainsaw to cut through the bark and found the two reptiles – which are considered a delicacy in the remote Sarawak region.

Several men dragged the beasts out before they were shot and hauled into a truck to be served up after being fried or grilled in accordance with local culinary customs.

Local Tinsung Ujang, 60, said villagers in the town of Bintulu near the Kelawit River would feast on the meat for the next few days.

He told local media that the python could be grilled over a fire or fried in a pan along with vegetables and eaten with rice.

Tinsung added: ‘The snake meat was then divided and its share was distributed equally to villagers and nearby farm workers.’

 

He said: ‘I looked down into the hole in the wood. ‘We had to split the timber to reach them and it was difficult to remove the snakes because of their size and the position. They were locked together.

‘It was an amazing occurrence and I proceeded to shoot the two reptiles because for our community it is an exotic dish that is also our favourite dish.’

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