Men in Boon Lay Caught on Video Killing Python with Cleaver, NParks Investigating Incident

SINGAPORE – The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) is calling for information after a shocking video showing men allegedly beating and killing a reticulated python in Boon Lay surfaced on social media.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Acres revealed that it received the video from a concerned member of the public. The footage shows a group of men using crates to strike a large python, estimated to be over two meters long, at Boon Lay Place Market and Food Village. The snake is then dragged next to a food stall, where one man repeatedly hacks it with a cleaver until it dies.

Bystanders can be heard laughing and cheering throughout the video, with an embedded caption urging viewers to watch until the end.

Acres has since reported the incident to the National Parks Board (NParks), which is currently investigating. Acres co-chief executive Anbarasi Boopal expressed deep concern over the violence, noting that the men did not appear to be acting in self-defense but rather cornered and attacked the python. She highlighted the need for greater deterrents to prevent such cruelty, especially toward reptiles, which are often perceived as more frightening.

Boopal visited the market on Wednesday to gather information and identify those involved but was unable to confirm the identities of the men. While some stallholders had heard about the incident, no one had witnessed it firsthand.

Acres is appealing to anyone with information about the individuals in the video to come forward, either by contacting their 24-hour hotline at 9738 7782 or emailing them at acrescrime@gmail.com.

According to a 2021 parliamentary response, authorities investigate about 1,200 cases of animal cruelty annually. Offenders convicted of animal cruelty face fines of up to $15,000, imprisonment of up to 18 months, or both for first-time offenses, with harsher penalties for repeat offenders.