The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN or any of the funding organizations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of IUCN.

Published by: IUCN/SSC Reintroduction Specialist Group & Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi

Copyright: © 2018 IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorized without prior written permission from the copyright holder provided the source is fully acknowledged.

Reproduction of this publication for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written permission of the copyright holder.

Citation: Soorae, P. S. (ed.) (2018). Global Reintroduction Perspectives: 2018. Case studies from around the globe. IUCN/SSC Reintroduction Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland and Environment Agency, Abu Dhabi, UAE. xiv + 286pp.

6th Edition

ISBN: 978-2-8317-1901-6 (PDF) 978-2-8317-1902-3 (print edition)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.CH.2018.08.en

Cover photo: Clockwise starting from top-left: I. Reticulated python, Singapore © ACRES II. Trout cod, Australia © Gunther Schmida (Murray-Darling Basin Authority) III. Yellow-spotted mountain newt, Iran © M. Sharifi IV. Scimitar-horned oryx, Chad © Justin Chuven V. Oregon silverspot butterfly, USA © U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service VI. Two-colored cymbidium orchid, Singapore © Tim Wing Yam VII. Mauritius fody, Mauritius © Jacques de Spéville

Cover design & layout by: Pritpal S. Soorae, IUCN/SSC Reintroduction Specialist Group

Printed by: Arafah Printing Press LLC, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Download at: www.iucnsscrsg.org www.iucn.org/resources/publications

ii Reptiles

Rescue, rehabilitation and release of reticulated pythons in Singapore

Mary-Ruth Low

Conservation & Research Officer, Wildlife Reserves Singapore, 80 Mandai Lake Rd., Singapore 729628 [email protected]

Introduction The reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus) (Schneider, 1801) belongs to the family Pythonidae. The species holds the record for being the longest snake species, with reliable measurements exceeding 9 m. It has a wide geographic range extending from India through Southeast Asia to Sulawesi and is generally locally abundant. Despite being Not Evaluated on the IUCN Red List, it is currently listed on CITES Appendix II. An estimated 300,000 individuals are harvested from the wild annually from Malaysia and Indonesia for the commercial leather trade. A two decades-long study showed that the harvest from the wild in Indonesia appears to be sustainable, while the sustainability of farming for skins in other range countries is still up for debate. Reticulated pythons are also opportunistically hunted for bush meat and killed out of fear or retaliation of livestock loss. In Singapore, reticulated pythons are the largest extant terrestrial predators in the highly modified urban landscape. It appears they have adapted to urbanization and are frequently encountered in residential and commercial built- up areas. Approximately 70% of their diet consists of rats, including the invasive Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus). They are also definite hosts of the parasite Sarcosystis sp., which further helps control rodent populations.

Goals Goal 1: To conduct an effective and sustainable translocation program for urban “conflict” reticulated pythons. Goal 2: To monitor movements and study urban ecology of translocated snakes. Goal 3: To reduce and eventually eliminate incidences of members of the public injuring and killing pythons. Goal 4: To foster an attitude of co-existence and tolerance amongst members of the public through education on the role pythons play in the ecosystem.

Reticulated python on lamp post

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Success Indicators Indicator 1: Continue to receive python rescues each year. Indicator 2: Continued survival of translocated pythons as indicated by recaptured snakes in good body condition. Indicator 3: Presence of neonate sightings each year in urban areas. Indicator 4: Obtain home range sizes and movement patterns of translocated pythons.

Project Summary Feasibility: Singapore is the world’s third most densely populated country, placing the reticulated python population in a unique situation. Annually, approximately 300 individual pythons are found each year in urban areas, including residential and commercial buildings; Python in a drainage gutter gardens; in vehicles and under construction debris. They are locally perceived to be dangerous as well as a pest species because they occasionally prey on domestic animals (e.g. chickens, stray cats and dogs). The aim of this translocation project was to ensure the long-term survival of the urban reticulated pythons in Singapore. While snakes in the forest are able to camouflage well and are not detected by recreational park users, snakes encountered in the urban areas usually attract large crowds that are occasionally hostile towards the animal. These situations at times necessitate the need for authorities to intervene capture and translocate the snake for its own safety.

Implementation: Since 2010, the Singapore Python Working Group was established and hosted by Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), in partnership with governmental and non-government organizations, to consolidate efforts of rescue, rehabilitation and release of these conflict pythons. Captured snakes are transported to the Wildlife Healthcare and Rescue Centre at Wildlife Reserves Singapore by Agri-Food Veterinary Authority (AVA) contractors as well as the rescue team from the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES). Snakes assessed by the WRS veterinary team and if deemed to be fit for release, are translocated to forested areas around Singapore. Snakes that are severely injured or in emaciated body condition (e.g. due to high parasite load) are euthanized. All released snakes are tagged with a PIT (passive integrated transponder) tag prior to release.

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Post-release monitoring: Snakes that were marked seven years prior have been recaptured up to 20 km away from release locations respectively, indicating that these snakes can thrive in an urban environment and have found ways to navigate through the human-modified landscape. We investigated their post-release movement from April 2014 to January 2016. Twenty-eight individuals were tracked using radio- telemetry with three relocations a week. Approximately 76% of all relocations (each time a tagged individual’s location was pinpointed) were at the forest edge and/or in urban areas.

Major difficulties faced Changing public perception from uncertainty and fear to understanding the role of snakes in the ecosystem and subsequently human treatment of snakes in encounters. The need for transparency, clear communication and cooperation Monitoring released pythons between multiple agencies, both from government and non-governmental sectors.

Major lessons learned Our findings are evidence that the reticulated python population in Singapore has adapted to the human modified landscape despite translocation activities. The animals are also breeding in urban environments as neonates are found each year. Continued and persistent education and outreach messaging is vital in changing public perceptions towards the role snakes play in the ecosystem and their subsequent treatment of these animals during an encounter. Continued cooperation and communication through the platform of the working group is imperative in managing and monitoring the urban python population.

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Success of project

Highly Successful Successful Partially Successful Failure √

Reason(s) for success/failure: Formation and effective delegation of the Singapore python working group (consisting of government agencies, non-governmental agencies, private stakeholders) to consolidate rescue, rehabilitation and release efforts of pythons. While the working group is now at the front line for public calls when they encounter a python, outreach through social and print media needs to be increased as cases of pythons found injured or dead due to intentional human actions still occur. Radio-telemetry study provided evidence of snakes actively returning to the forest edge and urban matrix for shelter and food.

References Natusch, D.J.D., Lyons, J.A., Mumpuni, Riyanto, A. & Shine, R. (2016) Jungle giants: assessing sustainable harvesting in a difficult-to-survey species (Python reticulatus). PLOS ONE 11(7):e0158397.

Kasterine, A., Arbeid, R., Caillabet, O. & Natusch, D. (2012) The trade in South- East Asian python skins. International Trade Centre; Geneva, Switzerland. Available here: www.intracen.org/The-Trade-in-South-East-Asian-Python-Skin/.

Low, M. R. & Luz, S. (2017) Snakes in Singapore city: python-human interactions. IUCN Boa and Python Specialist Group Newsletter, Serpens 5(1): 6-8.

Devan-Song, A., Luz, S., Mathew, A., Low, M. R. & Bickford, D. (2017) Pythons, pest and parasites: anthropogenic impacts Sarcocystis transmission in a multi- host system. Biotropica. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.12458

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