Snake Saves Villagers

[BWSmith]

Giant snake showed way to safety
Susie O'Brien
31dec04

AN elephant and a snake the size of a telephone pole helped save the lives of children.
Tsunami pictures
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The amazing animal rescue stories buoyed rescuers as the grim task of searching for tsunami survivors continues.
An Indonesian woman from the devastated province of Aceh had a remarkable story of survival.

She saved two children by following a giant snake to navigate flood waters.

Riza, 26, a clothes seller from the village of Penayang, was helplessly dragged in raging currents after the giant tsunami hit.









"Thousands of people were screaming hysterically and were panicking as they saw the water rise higher than their houses," she said.

As rising waters carried her out of her house, she was dragged towards her neighbour, who was struggling to hold on to her nine-year-old twins.

"Please save my twins, just let me go, as long as they're safe," Riza recalled the mother saying.

She grabbed the twins and placed them on her back. As she struggled through the torrent she saw a gigantic snake gliding to her left.

She followed in its wake until she found land.

"Strangely I felt no fear," Riza said.

"Thank God, with the power I had left, I managed to go to higher ground and the water was only a metre high."

Riza said the twins were bruised and battered, but safe. There was no word on the fate of their mother.

In Thailand, a British tourist said several children were playing on a beach when the tsunami struck.

They were saved after being placed on the back of a circus elephant.

Laura Barnett, 40, said the children were led to safety by the elephant's keeper, riding on the back of the giant beast.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/com...55E663,00.html

[Rikki]

wow

[timminsreptiles]

rikki took the word right out of my mouth....lucas

[Katt]

That is amazing, truly and utterly amazing.

We are so lucky here in NA to not be suffering as those in Indonesia/India/Thailand/Etc are.

Our local bank is setting up a Red Cross Relief Fund and I hear the City of Calgary is setting something big up. I hope all of us can find some extra cash to give and help those people whose lives have been forever altered.

[gonesnakee]

Makes a guy not mind the snow so much thats for sure. They can have all the "Tropical weather" they want, I don't mind shovelling. It goes to show the strong survival instinct that animals still have, but we do not. Mark

[BWSmith]

In case of flood, your Burm may be used as a floatation device