Master Kwame Junior, 14, on Tuesday bravely took down the giant 14-foot long python at a sugarcane plantation in Benyaze, near Elmina in the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abremu (KEEA) Local Government Area of the Central Region.
The boy’s bravery prompted a flood of praise as the snake has long plagued residents in the mostly agricultural area.
Junior said he was harvesting sugarcane for his pigs when he stumbled upon the giant python, which had been caught in his brother’s trap.
The snake thrashed around in the trap, struggling violently to survive, uprooting plants in a show of its strength.
Junior watched closely and, noticing that the snake was breathing backwards, he breathed a sigh of relief and mustered the courage to kill the snake, which was clearly in distress.
Junior acted according to the Akan proverb, “se wokum owo a, twa ne tiri preko,” which means, “When you kill a snake, cut off its head to ensure it is dead.”
Master Junior first deftly cut off the tail, and then, after a prolonged struggle and an unwavering display of courage, cut off the animal’s head.
Undaunted, Junior walked 15 minutes to carry the snake back to his home.
Upon arrival, local residents erupted in jubilation to celebrate Junior’s victory over the giant snake that had been terrorizing farmers in the area for months.
He said this was not the first time the giant python had been spotted in the area and there could be others lurking there, so he warned residents to exercise extreme caution when entering the forest.
Kwame Jr.’s heroic exploits have garnered widespread praise and admiration from across the KEEA Municipality with many hailing him as a true hero whose bravery serves as an inspiration to all.