A disturbing incident involving the violent mishandling of a large python on a public road in Davao City has sparked widespread outrage and calls for greater compassion toward wildlife. The viral video, which circulated online this week, shows a man fearlessly swinging and slamming the snake onto concrete, prompting strong reactions from animal rights groups and public figures.
Shocking Footage from Cabantian Road
The incident occurred on the evening of Monday, January 19, 2026, along Cabantian Road in Barangay Cabantian, Davao City. Motorists were temporarily halted as the python wandered into the middle of the roadway, creating an unexpected traffic disruption. In footage shared by Amerson Sarenas, a man is seen dragging the python by its tail before spinning it around and repeatedly slamming it onto the hard concrete surface.
Remarkably, the snake did not attempt to bite during the ordeal and was eventually pulled toward the side of the road. Sarenas later expressed shock in an online interview with SunStar Davao, noting his dismay at both the sight of the large reptile and the man's aggressive actions. The current whereabouts and condition of the python remain unknown.
PETA's Strong Condemnation
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) issued a formal statement on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, expressing horror at the video's contents. "PETA is horrified by the video showing a python that wandered onto a Davao street being violently mishandled instead of helped," the organization declared.
PETA emphasized that Philippine pythons are typically shy and docile creatures that pose minimal threat to humans when treated respectfully. "We share this planet with wildlife, and when animals enter human spaces, the normal human response should be mercy and compassion — not fear and cruelty," the statement continued. The group insisted that the snake should have been rescued by trained authorities and safely returned to its natural habitat.
Celebrity Reactions Amplify Message
The incident gained additional attention when actress Nadine Lustre and her boyfriend, Christophe Bariou, publicly condemned the actions on social media. Bariou wrote in an Instagram story on Thursday, "This was a terrible and cruel act to witness... I truly wish someone had stopped that person immediately."
He added, "All animals, including those that may be harder for us to relate to, like reptiles, feel pain and suffer. We cannot allow ourselves to treat animals as mere objects. This is why animals deserve rights and protection." Lustre reshared the message, amplifying the call for animal welfare. Both are known animal advocates who work with PETA, promote veganism, and regularly speak out against cruelty to animals.
Legal Framework for Wildlife Protection
In the Philippines, snakes and other wildlife receive protection under several important laws:
- Republic Act No. 9147 (Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act): Strictly prohibits killing or injuring wildlife, with penalties for harming endangered species reaching up to six years imprisonment and fines as high as ₱500,000.
- Republic Act No. 8485 (Animal Welfare Act): Criminalizes torture, maltreatment, or neglect of any animal.
These legal protections are reinforced through the Animal Welfare Supervision and Accreditation Program, which recently received government funding to strengthen enforcement capabilities. While killing snakes is generally illegal, exceptions exist only for imminent danger to human life, authorized scientific research, or specific indigenous religious practices.
Authorities urge the public to immediately report wildlife-related incidents to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB) or local law enforcement to ensure proper rescue, documentation, and legal action.
Ecological Importance of Wildlife
Beyond legal considerations, wildlife like pythons play crucial roles in maintaining ecological balance. According to the World Health Organization's One Health approach, wild animals serve multiple important functions:
- Disease Reservoirs: They can harbor zoonotic pathogens (viruses, bacteria, parasites) that may infect humans or domestic animals, particularly when human-wildlife contact increases.
- Disease Surveillance Indicators: Wildlife act as sentinel species, providing early warnings of disease threats in the environment.
- Ecosystem Health Components: Their wellbeing is directly tied to environmental conditions, with habitat loss and pollution potentially increasing disease transmission risks.
Pythons specifically contribute to controlling rodent populations and maintaining the delicate balance of their native ecosystems. Environmental stressors like habitat destruction can compromise wildlife health, creating conditions that might facilitate disease emergence and cross-species transmission.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the need for coexistence with wildlife and proper education about handling encounters with animals in urban settings. As human settlements expand into natural habitats, such interactions may become more frequent, requiring greater public awareness and compassion toward all living creatures.
