VietNamNet Bridge – On July 1, a headsman in the central province of Ha Tinh caught a male boa of nearly 4m long, with over 40cm waist, which was believed to swallow his goat.

The headsman, Pham Thai Hoc, caught the 35-kg colored boa on Hong Linh Mountain, where he released his herd of goats. Many people flocked to Hoc’s house to see the animal.

Hoc said that several days ago, he lost a baby goat. Inspecting the surrounding area, he found trails that looked like the trails left by a big boa.

He followed the trails and caught the animal, which was believed to have swallowed his goat.

A trader offered VND8 million ($400) for the boa but Hoc did not sell.

Local people said that boas usually appear on Hong Linh Mountain when the weather is fine, to seek food. Hoc said several months ago he caught two boas, weighing 15kg, over 2m long and 20cm waist each.

Hoc said based on trails, there is still a boa of around 70kg on the mountain.

Boas are listed in Vietnam Red List. People are banned from hunting and breeding boas. This species of boas can be up to 6m long.


Compiled by Mai Lan