Indonesia’s popular tourist island of Bali has experienced intense flooding after three days of continuous rainfall. Streets in several parts of town became water channels, cutting off everyone’s day and tourists. To make matters worse, residents and visitors reported seeing giant pythons in the floodwaters, up to 5 meters long, swimming through the waters. With the incident comes serious questions about whether extreme weather on wildlife impacts public safety as well.
Bali was battered over more than 72 hours by heavy rains, which overflowed large rivers and inundated low‑lying areas. Streets in various localities, such as Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu and Denpasar, were flooded, with residents and tourists struggling in waist‑deep water. Viral videos showed vast reticulated pythons gliding down flooded streets, shocking locals. Authorities concluded that the snakes were probably from nearby rivers or fields, which had been displaced by the rising water.
The floods have disrupted transportation, wrecked houses and damaged businesses, especially in tourist attractions. Giant snakes in homes also pose danger. Reticulated pythons are common in Indonesia, and the incident of their rapid emergence around human environments with urban floods has made the risk of wildlife walking into human areas during natural disasters even more pressing. The incident also exemplifies the growing challenges posed by the climate crisis, as extreme rainfall events become more common.
Videos of the pythons spread like wildfire across social media in what felt both terrifying and captivating. Tourists said they were worried about the safety of tourists, and locals warned others to take care. A lot did stress the need to manage storms well and wildlife control better, according to posts. The Indonesian weather agency (BMKG) released alerts and warned of continued heavy rainfall with further significant rainfall before warning the people and urging them to remain vigilant.
Residents as well as tourists should:
- Do not walk in great floodwaters where there may be snakes.
- Remain indoors when there is heavy rain and wait for official status.
- Report wildlife sightings to local authorities safely to get them removed.
- Continue to follow evacuation directions if floods worsen.
The Bali flooding illustrates how swiftly natural disasters can throw humans off kilter and provoke disasters that are unknown to most. It is also a timely reminder of the need to be prepared and work on building community awareness as seen in these giant pythons found on flooded streets. Bali is recovering from torrential rains; extreme weather as well as risk to animals should be treated with utmost regard as per the need to shelter both Bali residents and visitors from dangerous wildlife.
