'Like I had seen a ghost': Rare snake rediscovered here after 64 years

Young men's find believed to be first time the species has been photographed alive

- Ang Qing

It was minutes to midnight when two amateur photographers wandering near one of Singapore's few remaining natural streams chanced across a slumbering snake they had never seen before.

Forest streams like Lorong Banir in northern Singapore are increasingly rare amid the city-state's expansive urbanisation, and in recent years, the delicate habitat has drawn nature enthusiasts longing for a glimpse of the uncommon wildlife that thrives there.

Sometimes, the dream becomes reality, as it did in October for the young men and their friends when they logged Singapore's first record of the Peters' keelback snake (Hebius petersii) in 64 years.

Their rediscovery, believed to be the first time the species has been photographed alive, was published online on Nov 29 by the NUS' Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum.

The roughly 50cm-long reddish-brown snake was adorned with black blotches.

It was unlike any other snake that third-year NUS student Trin Chantong had ever encountered, despite being designated as his family's snake catcher while growing up in Thailand. "My whole body was shaking that day," said the 21-year-old, who started wildlife photography only in early 2024.

Meanwhile, fellow photographer Hamad Azam - who met Mr Chantong just six months ago - was initially sceptical. The 22-year-old full-time national serviceman said: "I kind of killed Trin's excitement; I said 'let's stay logical, it can't be something impossible'."