On a scientific expedition to a remote part of Gashaka Gumti National Park​, #Nigeria, I was thrilled to see a 2.5-3m (roughly 9 ft) snake swimming in a shallow, fast-flowing river. I waded out to watch and film this adult African Rock Python, Python sebae sebae, who swam upstream with a beautiful sinusoidal wave motion, then inched along the bottom on the bedrock and into a pool in the shallows. She seemed unconcerned by my presence and allowed me to take close-ups as she cautiously pushed her nose and flickering tongue out of the water to breath (after being submerged for at least five minutes) and even do a brief piece to camera (apologies for dodgy camerawork). Look closely at the back of the head and you'll see she has almost completed shedding her skin, with a bit of the old skin loose behind her right eye, which looks opaque as a result.
My best yet encounter with a #RockPython had no drama, nobody got bitten, and the snake was left in peace - and so now forms my 74th #BrightenYourDay video to lift spirits and connect those in #Covid19 #lockdown with #nature.
Note: my gratitude to Prof Volker Sommer of UCL Anthropology​ for organising the expedition and to the whole multi-national team for making it a successful exploration of a seldom-visited part of Gashaka-Gumti, even though we didn't find the mystery ape.