Pilot project returns 250 pythons to the wild in Hong Kong
The snakes, measuring between and 0.5 and 4.2 metres, have been picked up following reports to police after they have strayed too close to human habitats, said a spokeswoman for the Agriculture Fisheries and Conservation Department.
More than 250 pythons have been captured and released back into Hong Kong since a pilot project was introduced in 2010, according to statistics revealed by government officials.
The snakes, measuring between and 0.5 and 4.2 metres, have been picked up following reports to police after they have strayed too close to human habitats, said a spokeswoman for the Agriculture Fisheries and Conservation Department.
Of those captured, seven have been picked up twice, while one of these has been captured three times after returning to urban areas.
All pythons captured have been microchipped as part of the pilot programme aimed at monitoring the python population throughout Hong Kong.
It is hoped the data collected in the project - believed to be one of the first of its kind in the world - will be useful in building knowledge on the behaviour of the pythons, while also helping the department manage the snakes in a way which maintains the balance of the ecosystem.
Previously, captured pythons were transported over the border and released.
