Pythons released to kill rats

YOGYAKARTA: Sleman Regent Ibnu Subiyanto has released at least 100 pythons in rice fields in Argomulyo village, Cangkringan subdistrict, in an effort to fight a rat plague there.

Pythons have proven effective in controlling the rising population of rats in farmland in Yogyakarta, he said, calling on farmers to no longer kill the snakes when they found them in their paddy fields.

"Let's treat the snakes as our friends. These snakes are protectors of our farms," Subiyanto said. --JP