Morning joggers reported the discovery to Leisure and Cultural Services Department staffers at the park at around 8am this morning, with the large brown python found hiding in the bushes.

Two staff members arrived on the scene and used a metal hook to sweep the python into a plastic bag.

A local “seh wong” (snake-catcher) was later called to the scene by the police to take away the python.

In Hong Kong, protected snakes are usually sent to Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden for a thorough checkup before being released back into the wild.

The most common find in the city, the Burmese python, is the only protected snake species in Hong Kong.