Visitor attracts attention

 By ELIAS LARI

A COMMUNITY at Kerowil, Banz in Jiwaka, has captured a huge snake weighing more than 200 kg and measuring 3.5m in front of a family home.

Because they believe it is a Papa Graun or landowner, they are treating it with respect and have guided it into a cage where it now lives.

The villagers found the reptile last Thursday night lying on the lawn in front of the family home.

On Friday, they saw it still lying there and guided it into the cage.

The Sengalap tribe in the village thought it strange to see it and decided to look after and feed it.

The family home is vacant – the housewife is in Australia and the husband in Port Moresby.

Relatives called the husband to say he had a visitor waiting at home. He did not know who it was and said he was travelling to Australia to be with his wife.

However, when they told him about the extraordinary snake, he cancelled his trip and decided to return home to personally welcome their visitor.

Hazel Piel said she heard the news of the snake at her home in Aviamp, Jiwaka, and travelled to Kerowil to see it.

She said the husband and the Sengalap tribe were preparing a feast for the snake before they would open the cage to release it back to where it came from.

Piel said people from all over Jiwaka who had heard about the snake went to Kerowil to see it.