‘Thought it was a shadow’: Kerala woman horrified as massive python slithers into house during quiet TV night

Kasaragod: A quiet night of TV watching turned into a terrifying ordeal for a family in Kodavalam on Thursday when a giant python silently slithered into their home, leaving everyone frozen in fear for nearly an hour.

Housewife Indira was watching television with the front door open — a door her son Viswanathan forgot to close after returning from work — when the massive reptile crawled inside without making a sound.

The first to notice the intruder was Shruti, the daughter-in-law, who was resting in the hall. Startled by a sudden movement on the floor, she looked closer — and what she thought was a shadow turned out to be a huge python inches away.

Shocked, she called out to Indira, and within seconds the family realised they had a full-grown snake inside their house.

Panic swept through the home as the family tried to keep an eye on the snake while alerting neighbours. The python remained coiled in the hall as terrified family members kept their distance, not knowing when it would move.

The Forest Department’s specialised snake rescue team rushed to the scene, entering the house carefully while a crowd gathered outside.

After a tense struggle, the team managed to capture the python and relocate it safely, bringing relief to the shaken family and the anxious neighbourhood.

Officials said rising temperatures and the ongoing mating season are driving snakes — including cobras, vipers, and pythons — out of their burrows.

With reptiles laying 30 to 60 eggs at a time, sightings have sharply increased, especially near forested areas.

Residents recalled earlier panic in Mayyil Panchayat, where villagers spent nights in fear as pythons regularly appeared after dark.

Authorities warn that with heat intensifying and habitats shrinking, such close encounters will only rise — a reminder for families to shut doors, clear overgrowth, and keep surroundings clean to avoid such nightmarish intrusions.