- A giant snake was filmed by tourists as it slowly ate the creature whole
- Experts said snakes often vomit up prey if they eat too much but this one did not
- Officials at the Sri Lanka national park think the snake won’t eat again for months
This is the moment a huge python was filmed devouring a deer at a national park in Sri Lanka.
The video was recorded on a phone by enthusiastic tourists who saw it happen at Bundala National Park in Hambantota on January 29.
The python, believed to be 14-foot-long, wrapped itself around the deer and swallowed the animal over the space of an hour.
The forest officials, however, believe the python has swallowed more than it needed to.
They now think that its feed would ensure that the snake wouldn’t eat for months.
P.A. Muthukumara, Bundala forest officer, was surprised that the python didn’t throw up and said it showed how hungry it was.
The python wraps itself around the hapless deer as it swallows it whole
He said: ‘The pythons normally throw up when it senses people seeing it devouring an animal.
‘But looks like it was very hungry and despite the disturbance it swallowed the whole animal.
‘It did not require that whole deer and now that it has eaten more than required, it will not to eat for months.’
The clip shows the moment the python tightly coils itself around the deer and you can see the animal slowly inching inside the snake.
The python must have been very hungry, said a forest official, as the snakes usually vomit up their food if they realise they are being watched