Sale of Python meat – where are wildlife enforcement officers?

In Sarawak, a python meat is not only considered as a delicacy, but one that it is believed to have some medicinal values particularly among the Chinese such as purifying our blood, arthritis, skin diseases, etc.

It is little wonder that pythons are a common sight especially in a town like Serian. I never missed seeing pythons that have been cut into pieces weighing a kilo or more every time I visit Serian.

During my “balik kampong” for the Gawai Dayak celebrations, I noticed at least two pythons – one weighing about 100kg that had been cut into pieces and another but smaller one.

I saw a big crowd watching piles of python meat at the Serian Open market (see pictures above) and asked them where the slithery animals had come from. They told me that some Dayaks had sold them to the towkay at RM3.50 a kilo and the towkay in turn sold the meat to willing buyers at RM15.00 a kilo. So the towkay made a profit of RM11.50 a kilo.

They told me that this open sale has been going one for some time. But what baffles me is: where are the enforcement officers from the Wildlife Department? Don’t tell me they do not know about it.

Under the Sarawak Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1998, Section 29 (2) any person who hunts, kills, captures, sells, offers for sale, or claims to be offering for sale, imports, exports, or is in possession of, any protected animal, or any recognizable part of derivative thereof, or any nest thereof, except under and in accordance with the terms and conditions of a licence, shall be guilty of an offence. Penalty, imprisonment for one year and a fine ten thousand ringgit.


The Nabau or python?

Since we are on the story of python, let me relate to you some bizarre story of a big snake being circulated in Kapit. During our recent visit to Kapit, this story of a big snake eating a human being in Belaga causing my hair standing on end.

Could the big snake be the “Nabau” that was seen swimming in the Baleh river several months ago? Or could it be a python?

I tried to contact the Police in Belaga to confirm the story and to find out what has happened to the snake. Some how or rather my calls could not get through. Now look at the video. – The Broken Shield

Source: http://www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com/

The Legend of ‘Nabau’ (a giant snake)

According to Iban legend, Nabau is a giant snake comparable to the size of a drum and is more than 100 feet in length. The recent sighting of Nabau cruising along the Baleh River in Kapit has some resemblance to the ‘Loch Ness’ monster known as Nessie in Scotland. Judging by the photographs taken of Nabau, could the two animals of a similar breed?

Before going into the Nabau story, let me give the readers some information on the Loch Ness monster. It was first sighted by St. Columba in 565AD when he and his followers crossed the loch (lake) and since then it has been sighted now and then. The last sighting was reported on 17 June 1998. Many have described it just like a log, then up-turned boat or a large object with long tail.

On 30 November 1989, George Edwards discovered what looked like the hiding place of the monster in a depth of 812 feet of the loch. So many people including scientists have conducted a search for the elusive monster. One American, Robert Rines, now aged 85, has spent 37 years searching for the animal.

Now back to our Nabau, a member of the disaster relief committee, Sibu on 31 January 2009 was monitoring the flood situation in Ulu Rajang in a helicopter when he saw a monster that looked like a big snake cruising along the river. He took photographs of the monster at 5.30 pm at one of the Sungai Baleh tributaries from the helicopter.

According to Chuat Radin, the monster was Nabau, a python-type of snake, a much bigger in size and much longer in length. Among the Iban folk tales, super Nabau is like a “petara” (god) which has super natural powers. Seeing it alone will bring luck to the man. Its scales used by Iban as “pangkor” which give super strength, someone like the incredible Hulk.

Nabau has also been seen at Stambak Ulu and Ili in Betong and else where in Sarawak. In Africa and Sri Lanka this type of snake is known as ‘anaconda’.

There were tales among the Ibans in Kapit that when Temenggong Koh, Datuk Kenneth Kanyan’s father passed away in 1950s, he became a Nabau and used to appear in dreams. Koh was one of the pioneering Ibans who migrated to Entawau during the Brooke regime. As he was knowledgeable in Iban Adat and had the respect of the Brooke regime, he was made a Temenggong, the paramount chief of the Ibans.

But does Nabau really exist in Sarawak? And is the one seen at Sungai Baleh a Nabau or not?

Thus search and research should be conducted now by individuals or by those in authority such as the Sarawak Museum and the Ministry of Tourism to determine the existence of this huge creature.

Like in Scotland, where once a year Nessie festival is being organised, the authority in Kapit perhaps can organise such a festival. For what you know, the Nabau story can now become the star attraction as well as bringing more luck to Kapit such as in the form of development and road construction which the people have been asking for in the past 45 years. - The Broken Shield

Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com