A reticulated python coils itself up under a heat bulb at Nanning Zoo of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Nov. 21, 2017. Photo: China News Service

When a 20-kilogram python slithered into a police station in Xishuang Banna in Yunnan Province, local police were too scared to tackle it, so they turned to firefighters for help.

Firefighters in Xishuangbanna received a call on Saturday from a local border police office. The police officer reported that a giant python had sneaked into their office, saying, "[It] is so big. We are scared to catch it."

Surveillance video showed the police officer jumping off his chair when he spotted the python. Several policemen then entered the office and attempted to catch the animal but failed.

Upon receiving the distress call, local firefighters arrived with equipment. Within five minutes, they successfully captured the python and placed it in a cage.

The python was identified as a reticulated python, which is a second-class protected animal in China. It measured four meters in length and weighed 20 kilograms. The wild animal was later released back into its natural habitat.

The incident also went viral online, with netizens claiming that the police officers did the right thing by leaving such dangerous situations to the professionals.