By Dr Arunachalam Kumar

Mangalore, Nov 28: At around 3 on Sunday November 27 afternoon, Jaws, my hound, gave me an 'all alert' bark. Since I completely trust my dogs and their guardianship talents, I always make it a point, no matter how busy or lazy I am, to investigate what the cause of the alarm is.

I peered from my open window towards the gate – hmmm, no one. I looked to the other side up the slope, no one there either. Usually even a stray dog or a scurrying mongoose is enough to make my dogs yell murder. The coast, this time appeared quite clear. Despite my mumbled assurance to Jaws that no one was afoot, continued his howls.

I watched his eyes and the direction he was staring at. He was peering at ground level towards his right. I walked up to another window, when much to my utter amazement and shock, I saw a massive Indian Rock Python slithering quite calmly in the cemented aisle between my bedroom and the compound wall.
 
I stepped out through the back door to stand and silently watch the grand brightly-hued reptile chug along unfazed and unhurried. The python crept all along the aisle for around five or six minutes, till, finding the scenario quite sterile, slowly eased itself up the garden wall to disappear into the thickets beyond my house in Deralakatte in the outskirts of Mangalore.
 
For us, watching such a large-sized reptile from up close was a new and novel experience. Though all of us have sometime or the other read news about a python or two being retrieved from some urban locale, to have such a huge constrictor on  prowl so close to my quarters was quite rattling.

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