Shopkeepers at Papavinasanam Theertham, located five km from the temple town amid the thick Tirumala forests, got the scare of their lives after finding a reticulated python resting comfortably in a shop.
A handful of shopkeepers had come down to the area to check on their shops, which were closed for close to two months since the beginning of the lockdown. One of the shopkeepers who was cleaning his shop let out a cry after finding the reptile tucked beneath a wooden plank. Other shopkeepers rushed to the spot after the man raised an alarm, and alerted by the commotion, the python slithered off into the bushes behind the shop.
Instances of thefts and wild boars sneaking into the market have also been on the rise atop the temple town during the lockdown.
