SINGAPORE, Dec 8 — A video posted by the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) showing a two-metre long reticulated python stuck in machinery being roasted alive by two people using flammable spray cans is making headlines.

The footage, dated November 26 and shared on the NGO’s Facebook account, also shows one of the perpetrators stepping on the snake’s head as it writhes on the ground.

Singapore’s wildlife authority, National Parks Board (NParks), is currently investigating the case said to have occurred on November 26, The Straits Times reported today.

ACRES co-chief executive Anbarasi Boopal described the incident as "shocking” and "deeply frustrating,” calling it one of the worst cases of animal cruelty she had ever encountered.

"This keeps happening to our snakes and monitor lizards... Some of us may view animals differently and may favour certain species over others but suffering and pain are universal,” she told the Singapore newspaper.

The reticulated python, native to South-east Asia and the Indian sub-continent, is a protected species under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Singapore’s Wildlife Act prohibits the killing, trapping, or harming of wildlife without approval from NParks, with offenders facing fines of up to S$50,000 or imprisonment for up to two years.

Jessica Kwok, NParks’ group director for enforcement and investigation, confirmed investigation is underway, saying: "NParks takes all cases related to animal cruelty seriously.”

ACRES has recorded 85 cases of cruelty to reptiles, most involving snakes, over the past decade and is calling for greater awareness of animal welfare.