Kitten Tigrou accompanies best mate Patapouf to the vet after the encounter with a carpet python.(Supplied: Frederick Cogez)
An 11-week-old golden retriever puppy was seconds away from becoming a python's breakfast after it was strangled in a residential Sunshine Coast backyard.
Frederick Cogez was woken up about 8.30am on Saturday to the sounds of the family's new dog, Patapouf, barking.
When Mr Cogez ran downstairs in his Marcus Beach home, he found a 2-metre carpet python fully wrapped around his dog, which had a bite to its foreleg.
Mr Cogez's wife, Shamin, called police who advised he should hit the python on the head with a broom.
"I opened my window and the kids were yelling and in a little bit of panic," Mr Cogez said. "I saw a big python around the body of my puppy."
"By the time I got down with a broom, the dog was out of breath and the python was attacking him.
"I'm not so familiar with pythons as in France, we don't have them."
Mr Cogez moved to Brisbane from France five years ago, but had only made the move to the Sunshine Coast one month ago.
While he had had snake encounters, there had never been one this close.
"I managed to stick the snake's head under the broom, but its tail was still around my dog — it was still strangling my dog.
The python was easily hidden in the Noosa garden and has since been relocated by a snake catcher.(Supplied: Frederick Cogez)
"It was like that for another 30 seconds and my doggy was jumping all over the place, trying to get rid of the strangulation.
"The police said to keep banging on its neck."
The python finally let go.
"My pooch, he jumped away, it was a big relief, but it was still in shock and it was bitten on the leg."
Frederick Cogez is very relieved that Patapouf is safe and well after its ordeal.(Supplied: Frederick Cogez)
'Unusual' attack
Mr Cogez took the puppy to the Noosa District Animal Hospital to see vet Stephanie Zurek.
Dr Zurek said it was common for pythons to try and eat kittens, but she had not heard of one attacking a dog.
"This is a little bit far-fetched as the puppy is about 8 kilos, but the snake just wanted to eat it and saw it as an opportunity for a long-lasting dinner," she said.
Dr Zurek said it would have been very difficult for the owners to pull the python off the dog.
Due to the hot weather the veterinary practice has been seeing a lot of snake envenomations to pets, but strangulations by a non-venomous snake was atypical.
"A non-venomous snake trying to kill an animal that way and eat it is unusual," she said.
Dr Zurek said cats did not come off as well as dogs because they were "softer boned" and could get strangulated and asphyxiated very quickly.
Fortunately for Patapouf, the puppy survived the incident relatively unscarred.
"It has had a good meal and a good bowl of water and plenty of hugs and kisses from the family," Mr Cogez said.
He has also had the comfort of its best friend, a kitten called Tigrou, which even accompanied Patapouf to the veterinary practice.
Mr Cogez said he always went everywhere with the dog and it was inside when the attack occurred.
The family called a snake catcher and the snake has since been relocated to search for its meals elsewhere.
She called for her dog several times on Monday (Jan 18), but when the Pomeranian failed to respond, a woman called her husband to see if he had brought their dog, Mia, to the office. When he said no, the 39-year-old Australian national felt a sinking feeling in her stomach.
She stepped out of her apartment in Eleven@Holland and circled around the back of the complex when she came across a blood-chilling sight — a three-metre-long python wrapped around Mia, swallowing the dog's head.
In an interview with Lianhe Wanbao, the woman said she was so shocked by what she saw that she wasn't able to move for five minutes.
After she recollected herself, she ran to call for help from the estate's security guards and authorities, as well as her friends who lived nearby.
The Animals Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) was called in for assistance afterwards. As the python had gotten itself stuck in a hole, leaving only a third of itself visible, it took three rescuers two and a half hours before they were able to dig it out, Acres told AsiaOne.
The dog's sudden death left her owners at a complete loss. The couple had had Mia for seven years — she joined their family while they were still living in Australia.
When they moved to Singapore two months ago, they hadn't expected such a tragedy to befall upon them.
Their two-year-old daughter, whose best friend and companion had been Mia, doesn't know of the dog's fate yet. Unwilling to break the toddler's heart, the couple told her that the dog returned to their old home for a "holiday".
Dog's incessant barking might have been warnings
According to the woman, prior to Mia's death, the dog would regularly stand on their apartment's balcony and bark in the direction of the estate's swimming pool.
She believed Mia might have noticed that there was a python hidden in the space behind the pool.
While she doesn't know how or why Mia ran out that day, the woman believed her dog had tried to chase the python away but unfortunately lost her life doing so.
Python sightings, feline victims
Other animals, both pets and strays, have fallen victim to hungry pythons.
In 2018, horrified passers-by watched as a large python attempted to swallow a stray cat. Although it eventually abandoned its meal, the cat was already dead.
Another two snakes were rescued in 2018 and 2019. Both had swollen bellies, which authorities believed were due to them having fed on stray cats.
Kalai Vanan, the co-CEO of Acres, told Stomp in 2019: "Pythons have adapted well to urban areas and mostly feed on rats. However, when the opportunity rises, they do go for cats who frequent drains."
He also told AsiaOne that while reticulated pythons can be found islandwide, they're generally shy creatures. Should members of the public come across one, they should call the Animal Response Centre at 1800-476-1600 or the Acres Wildlife Rescue Centre at 9783 7782.
SINGAPORE - In the last days before his final surgery on Nov 12, 12-year-old cancer patient, Raphael Lee, had begun thinking about his own death.
Sensing that "something was not quite right", he asked his mum, Mrs Winnie Lee, 45, what would happen if her only child died before her. If he did, he hoped she would donate his body to scientific research.
On the day of the surgery, he was crying softly outside the operating theatre. "I don't think I've seen him so afraid before," she said.
"Just as he was being sedated to begin the operation, he was telling me, 'Mummy, I don't want to lie down, I want to sit down. I want you to hug me'. So that was how he went into deep sleep, and that was the last time we saw him, alert and awake," she added.
In that poignant moment, said Mrs Lee, no words were shared but the bond between mother and child was strong and heartfelt.
On the operating table, Raphael suffered from excessive blood loss, which resulted in brain damage. He died the following day.
Raphael had dealt with various cancers since he was born, as he had Li-Fraumeni Syndrome, a genetic disorder which predisposed him to a wide range of rare cancers.
His father, Mr William Lee, 47, a course manager with non-profit humanitarian organisation St John Singapore, also has the same syndrome, and was diagnosed with Stage 2 colon cancer in August.
After collecting his son's PSLE results last Wednesday (Nov 25), Mr Lee had a moment's regret about not postponing Raphael's surgery so that he could have seen the results for himself.
But Raphael's biopsy results, which also came back that day, showed there was a chance the cancer may have spread to other parts of his body.
"So with that, I think his departure was timely. It would've been more difficult for him to receive happy news of his results, only to fight yet another wave of cancer, which he might end up succumbing to," said Mr Lee.
Raphael's first operation was at eight months of age for rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of soft tissue cancer in 2008. After a year of treatment, the disease went into remission, but resurfaced in 2016.
That necessitated a second operation in Primary 2 for osteosarcoma, or bone cancer, in his left forearm. He was to lose that arm the following year, to halt the spread of the cancer.
After his cancer came back, and despite being so young, Raphael read up on cancer, the side effects of his frequent chemotherapy treatments, and quizzed his doctors and nurses on the medications they gave him.
His parents said his inquisitive mind and genuine interest in learning saw him persevere through the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) in October, in which the Alexandra Primary School pupil scored 220 points, with As for mathematics and science, and Bs for English and mother tongue.
Mrs Winnie Lee left her job as a childcare teacher last year to take care of Raphael. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
"Math and science were his favourite subjects in school, and he enjoyed challenging himself with mind-boggling math problems in his free time," said Mrs Lee, a childcare teacher who quit her job last year to look after her son. He was also an avid online-gamer, and he joined various co-curricular activities in school such as chess club, speech and drama club, and robotics club.
"Robotics was something he thoroughly enjoyed, as it allowed him to get creative. He was hoping to build something which could be useful to him in future, like a prosthetic arm," she added.
Raphael's fighting spirit and zest for life inspired his classmates and other cancer patients at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH).
"He would go around to encourage the other cancer patients in his ward, which also earned him the Inspirational Patient and Caregiver Award from KKH of 2020," said Mrs Lee.
(From left) Raphael at his K2 graduation photo-taking session at Tai Pei Childcare; and with his classmate of six years Hugo Tang and their teacher Ms Ng Peck Yong (right) during a Primary 5 camp. PHOTOS: COURTESY OF WILLIAM AND WINNIE LEE
His classmates remember his pluck.
"I was paired with Raphael for an adventure camp in Primary 5, and I remembered how determined he was to complete the obstacle course despite the fact that his left arm was amputated," said Hugo Tang, 12, Raphael's classmate of six years.
"I supported him throughout the course, and the whole class was watching and cheering for him."
Another classmate, Jeston Teo, 12, said he missed his friend very much, and wished they could talk on the phone again, as they used to do for hours on end, sharing jokes with one another.
No matter how sick Raphael was, he always spared a thought for his loved ones.
In the days before his final operation, Mrs Lee cooked a few of his favourite dishes, but the child was so ill that he had lost most of his appetite.
"Yet, he would still reassure me and tell me that 'Mummy, I'm sorry I couldn't finish the food; it's not that it isn't nice, it's just that I'm very full," she said.
One of Raphael's gifts which Mrs Lee holds closest to her heart is a "message in a bottle". Inside the bottle is a simple note that says, "I love you Mama", with strokes of green, her favourite colour, on the back.
Mrs Winnie Lee reads a secret note left by Raphael which says "I Love You", at their home on Nov 27, 2020. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
He had given it to her before an operation in December last year to remove his right collarbone, as the operation was going to be a challenging one.
"The message was so simple, but very thoughtful," she added.
"He was a boy of few words, but it was always his wish to inspire others with his story. During his wake, there were many attendees who came, some of whom we did not even know. But all of them said he was very brave and strong."
Explaining why the couple had agreed to media interviews and sharing Raphael's life with people, Mr Lee said: "Now that he is gone, perhaps I should be the one (to continue his legacy) and inspire others on his behalf."
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Raphael's cancer journey
2008
Diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of soft tissue cancer, when Raphael is eight months old. Has chemotherapy for a year.
2009
Disease goes into remission.
2016
Diagnosed with osteosarcoma, or bone cancer, which starts with swelling in his left forearm.
Undergoes his first operation, in which cryotherapy involving liquid nitrogen is used to destroy the cancer cells.
2017
Another swelling found close to left wrist. Arm is amputated to prevent the cancer from spreading further.
December 2019
Another tumour is found on his right collarbone, catching medical team by surprise.
The collarbone is removed, and Raphael told to be careful not to put too much weight on his shoulders .
March 2020
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan shows cancer has spread to Raphael's lungs.
April, May 2020
Undergoes operations to remove tumours in right and left lung respectively.
The operations are successful.
August 2020
Two months before the PSLE, doctors finds cancer in lungs has returned.
Nov 12, 2020
Undergoes second operation, but suffers complications during surgery.
