Video of children playing on giant python in Indonesia divides social media users

A video from Indonesia is drawing attention on social media. It shows a group of small children climbing onto the body of a huge python and playing on it. The children needed neither a swing nor a slide: they had made the python their playground.

The video shows a very large python stretched out on a mud slope. It has been claimed that the snake is about 20 feet, or six metres, long.

The children climb onto its body without hesitation. Some sit on top of it, while others slide down its body as if it were a slide. Their faces show joy and excitement rather than fear. Some adults are also present nearby and appear to be recording the scene on their mobile phones.

Opinion among social media users is divided. Some praised the children's courage, while many called the act negligent. One user wrote in jest, "Today's children don't need a swing to play, the python has become their swing."

Many people have raised the question of the children's safety. They ask how far it is right to let small children play on the body of such a large python, and why the adults present did not try to stop them.

It is being claimed on social media that the python in the video is a reticulated python, counted among the longest species of snakes in the world. The python is not venomous, but it is extremely strong. It can tighten the coils of its body and suffocate its prey. A python of that size can therefore be dangerous to humans, especially small children.

Pythons are kept as pets in some parts of Indonesia, so some users guess that this one belongs to a family that keeps it. There has been no official confirmation, however, of whether the python is actually a pet. Where the incident took place and in what circumstances has also not been made clear.

While people are amazed at the children's unusual game, the video has also revived debate over the safety precautions needed when going near wildlife.