Snake rescued after swallowing four golf balls 生吞四顆小白球的蛇

An undated photo of a keeper holding the snake at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. 可倫賓野生動物保育區內一名飼養人托著那條蛇的照片，未註明拍攝日期。 照片：美聯社 PHOTO: AP

Emergency surgery was performed late last month to save an Australian snake. The snake had swallowed four golf balls after mistaking them for chicken eggs.

A couple discovered the 1m python with four bulges in its stomach. They realized it had eaten golf balls. The couple had placed the golf balls in their chicken coop to encourage their hens to lay eggs.

They took the snake to veterinarian Michael Pyne. He safely removed the balls.

"Without surgery, it would have certainly died," Pyne said. "The golf balls had traveled as far as they could in the snake's system."

Pyne said the snake, which is not considered dangerous to humans, was recovering well. After it has recovered, it will be released back into the wild near where it was found.

"I think the people who brought it in will have to make their chicken coop a little more snake-proof," Pyne said.(STAFF WRITER, WITH AFP)

澳洲一條蛇上個月底錯把小白球當雞蛋，吞食了四顆高爾夫球，經過緊急手術後撿回一命。

一對夫婦發現這條一公尺長的蟒蛇腹部有四處凸起，他們心想牠一定是吃了高爾夫球；這對夫婦在他們的雞窩裡放了些高爾夫球，以刺激母雞下蛋。

他們把這條蛇送交獸醫麥可．派恩診治，派恩成功地取出了這些球。

「如果不動手術，這條蛇必死無疑，」派恩說：「這些高爾夫球已深入牠的消化系統。」

派恩表示這條對人類安全不構成威脅的蛇恢復得很好，待牠完全恢復後，將被放生至原出沒處附近。

派恩說：「我想帶牠來的那對夫婦得加強他們雞舍的防蛇措施。」﹝法新社／翻譯：袁星塵）

TODAY'S WORDS 今日單字 1. surgery n. 手術 (shou3 shu4) 例: The surgery lasted for ten hours. (那場手術進行了十小時之久。) 2. python n. 蟒蛇 (mang3 she2) 例: Have you ever held a python? (你有托握過蟒蛇嗎？) 3. bulge n. 腫脹 (zhong3 zhang4) 例: Lance had a bulge in his stomach after dinner. (藍斯吃過晚餐後肚子凸了起來。) 4. chicken coop n. 雞舍 (ji1 she4) 例: They have a chicken coop on their farm. (他們的農場裡有一個雞舍。)