Q: What’s scarier than a python in the kitchen?

A: A python that was in the kitchen.

It was quite exciting and, in the truest sense of the word, awesome to have a three meter python living in the kitchen. Now I had no desire to disturb this young, and what everybody here called small, member of the largest snake in the world, one that matches the Anaconda in size and strength and gets up to ten meters in length. It was not my turn to play the hero and usher the king of slithering reptiles towards a new home. Python reticulates can be found in the forest hunting deer and pigs - large pigs. I am not sure I could even win a battle against Babi, the bearded pig, so why even try with its predator. And anything keen enough to hunt a pig can definitely hunt me. Not too long ago a python was caught with the head and shoulders of a full-grown man in its belly. It dropped on him near his house. I do not want to be that man, so I let the snake sleep for day one, day two and day three. Day four it was gone.

You would think I could sigh with relief. Not so. I now have the feeling that he is waiting above the doorway as I enter, lying under my bed while I sleep, creeping up behind me as I read. Q: What’s worse than hearing the roar of a deadly animal tumbling your way? A: Not hearing it. You will never hear a snake as it approaches. That’s why you constantly have to look over your shoulders while you sip your coffee, only read with one eye, take a break while you type on the keyboard so you can make sure the area behind you, above you, and under chair is free of someone who could swallow you in one gulp. That is after it effortlessly squeezes the air out of you, crushes your ribcage, and snaps your neck.



There are many exciting animals here in Borneo. Like all islands, the land needs to be colonized in some fashion. For pedestrian mammals, this either occurs over landbridges when oceans are low and glaciers are high, or you must fly, swim, or float across a perilous stretch of ocean. It seems many choose the aerial route. We have flying lizards, flying foxes, flying fish, flying squirrels, flying snakes, flying frogs, and flying lemurs. All quite beautiful and impressive animals. We have elephants here too - no, not flying elephants, dumbo! - pygmy elephants. Although they are a lot shorter than their African cousins, they are far more aggressive and can be quite dangerous. But the animal that has scared me the most was of a different nature. I was wandering through the forest one day, when suddenly immediately near me a loud and fearsome barking began. Help! Is it a clouded leopard, a wild dog? No, it was an herbivore. Borneo’s barking deer…

maureen tucker wrote (08/30 04:57:41):
Glad it was your kitchen and not mine. Maureen

Mary Moran wrote (08/31 14:59:01):
Hi Marty,
I loved your story, Python in the Kitchen!, and your video. To see you again was wonderful. The scenery transported me back to Costa Rica, the closest we've been to a rain forest. I'm sure you see many differences. We wish you good health and many successes in your work in the rain forest.
Love, Mary and Dennis Moran

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