With human help, could this be the duck’s lucky day of escape as it stood inches away from danger in the form of a snake pursuing its next meal?
The TikTok video showed the snake slithering towards the rather clueless duck along a drain at Bukit Timah Hill when one woman attempted a rescue mission.
@3344520ma 周末陪家人武吉知马山徒步中，从蛇口中，解救了一只白白胖胖的🦆
The duck waddled forward, taking its sweet time, while the snake inched closer, blending in with the canal water.
Soon after, a woman was heard shouting, “Hurry up! Run away quickly,” in Mandarin.
Sensing that the duck couldn’t waddle its way to freedom, the woman began throwing branches at the snake to deter it from its course.
It appears that her plan worked as the snake began slithering away in the opposite direction.
The video, which primarily features the circle of life taking its course, sparked multiple comments among netizens who saw a deeper meaning in what happened.
Some said it is only natural for humans to help those in need.
“It’s human nature to help anything in trouble. If you sat there and watch most likely even taking a video, then something is very wrong,” said Facebook user Elizabeth Martin.
“If we as a human doesn’t help to prevent things from happening, then we should be an animal than human,” added another netizen.
Meanwhile, others said it might be better to let nature take its course. “According to Buddha’s teachings, let nature takes its course. “顺其自然”. But then the woman distracting the snake is also considered “natural reaction”. All part of nature and its environment. No right or wrong,” said Facebook user Tiong Guan Chua in a comment with over 215 likes.
“Poor snake, going hungry till don’t know when. Maybe it gets so desperate, it will try its luck in the neighborhood and eat someone’s pet instead,” noted Facebook user James Chong, siding with the snake. “Then the owner may get upset and maybe hit and injure it. And it goes into hiding, not able to hunt due to injury and die from hunger.”
Still, it all boils down to survival, which Facebook user Olivia Franklin highlighted. “I hate how cruel nature can be. Either save the duck and starve the snake, or let the snake kill the duck. There’s just no winning. Who’s to say the prey has any more right than the predator? They’re all just trying to survive,” she commented.
Here’s netizen Jeff Long with an analogy:
/TISG
Man vs. snake @ Orchard Rd: Uneducated handling of pythons is lethal and cruel