Volunteer fire and rescue team denies feeding kitten to python, claims snake already dead

The Taman Mount Austin Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association has come under heavy fire from netizens after one of its members allegedly put a kitten in the same container as an adult python, in a video that went viral on social media.

The team lodged a police report denying the incident and claiming the kitten was safe, but has so far provided no proof.

In a statement on Facebook, the team insisted...

The Taman Mount Austin Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association has come under heavy fire from netizens after one of its members allegedly put a kitten in the same container as an adult python, in a video that went viral on social media.

The team lodged a police report denying the incident and claiming the kitten was safe, but has so far provided no proof.

In a statement on Facebook, the team insisted the snake was already dead before the kitten was placed in the container.

“The allegation that our team ‘fed a cat to a snake’ is inconsistent with what happened.

“There were no additional containers available at the location at the time, so our members placed the cat together with the snake.

“This was a temporary holding method under the circumstances and was not intended to make the cat food for the snake,” it said.

The team also apologised for the distress and confusion arising from the incident.

“We acknowledge that placing the cat together with a dead snake in the same bucket is not an ideal method of holding and could cause unnecessary misunderstanding,” it said.

The team maintained that the cat had been released and was not used as food for the snake, while urging the public to refrain from drawing conclusions based only on incomplete footage or unverified information.

However, the statement did not say where or when the kitten was released, or what condition it was in at the time.

The team’s response left most netizens in the group’s Facebook comments section dissatisfied, with many demanding proof that the kitten is still alive.

“Where is the proof that the kitten is safe and has been released?” asked one netizen.

Another netizen questioned the claim that the snake was dead.

“In the video, the python was curled around the kitten, which was meowing for help. Can someone explain?” the netizen said.

No excuse

Animal rights lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan said rescue operations must not be turned into a spectacle and that a helpless animal is not a prop.

“No kitten should be placed in a container with a python, alive or dead. That the kitten was released unharmed is no defence. The question is why it was put in that situation in the first place.

“Fear, distress and unnecessary suffering also count,” he told Malaysiakini.

The founder of Lawyers for Animal Rights also stressed that good intentions and volunteer status cannot be used as an excuse for reckless handling.

“Groups that want public trust must meet professional standards, and the authorities must stop treating animal welfare as an afterthought.

“The Veterinary Services Department must introduce mandatory handling protocols, enforceable standards and real accountability for rescue groups.

“Compassion begins with not putting an animal in harm’s way. Those who cannot grasp that have no business conducting rescues,” he said.