On the day the CSIRO announced it was going to ramp up its research program into the creation of female toothless dragons, Bonner residents found themselves living in their own version of Snakes on a Plane.
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Apparently Malcolm, a handsome three-year-old diamond python, is now footloose (so to speak) and fancy free after taking French leave from his usual garden perch.
My colleague, Hamish Boland-Rudder, reported online on Wednesday that when Jay Rawlings and his family returned home from holiday they liberated the 1.8-metre (approx) non-venomous creature from his secure enclosure and hung him from his favourite tree in the front yard to catch some rays and work on his vitamin D levels.
When Jay came out to check on his scaly mate a little while later the critter was gone.
Apparently he is most likely searching for a warm, dark place to hide, ''like under a car or in an unsuspecting neighbour's letterbox''.
All I can say to that is, I hope said neighbour has a strong ticker.
It is apparently the first time Malcolm has taken himself for a stroll (or should that be a slither?) and his owners are understandably worried.
Possibly not quite as worried as the local dogs and cats but worried nevertheless.
The news of Malcolm's disappearance was broken, not surprisingly, on Facebook on the Lost Canberra Pets Database Facebook page. He proved the hit of the day and scored more than 300 shares, and many more hits, by noon on Wednesday.
While the big M takes up a lot of room when stretched out to full length, he can compress himself like a spring. ''They [pythons] can get into some pretty small and tight places,'' Jay said.
He said that people who encountered his missing mate had nothing to worry about; the python is good with dogs, plays with Ray's three-year-old nephew Kaleb, and is usually pretty happy just to hang out when placed in ''his'' tree.
''I don't know about friendly, but he's just real timid. He's tame, he'll just cruise around and do what he wants to do. He's not bothered by anything.''
Wednesday's CSIRO dragon announcement, prompted by a letter from a future taxpayer, sparked a fierce online debate on the value of whimsy and childhood innocence.
When JohnF of Melbourne posted a comment suggesting The Canberra Times must be experiencing a slow news day to run such a story, he was howled down by dragon-loving experts from as far afield as the Kingdom of Westeros.
And that is one place where they really know their stuff when it comes to dragons.
Queensland's Sophie Lester, 7, scored an instant spot on TV when she wrote to the CSIRO asking them to make her a dragon.
The CSIRO, in best tongue-in-cheek fashion, responded by apologising for its lack of previous dragon research.
I reckon they should get on with it. It's time our Skywhale had an appropriate mate (just don't fill her with hydrogen). Oh, the humanity.
Canberra woman to join Cambodian ride for charity fighting sex slavery
Alanna Davis, a non Lycra-wearing paralegal from Jerrabomberra, is nervously training to cycle 400 kilometres around Cambodia fund-raising to end sex slavery.
As part of the 2014 Business Chicks Cycle Challenge, Mrs Davis has a fund-raising goal of $7000, which she wants to donate to The Somaly Mam Foundation and to Acting for Women in Distressing Situations in Cambodia.
Mrs Davis was inspired to take the plunge and participate in the gruelling ride after reading the book The Road of Lost Innocence, a harrowing story of how girls as young as five are sold into prostitution in Cambodia.
Family law firm Watts McCray will be hosting a networking fund-raiser at As You Like It Cafe to support Mrs Davis in her fund-raising efforts.
Cost is $30 per person or $110 for four people and the event is to be held on Friday, January 31, at 5.30pm.
Tickets can be purchased at: http://www.trybooking.com/ECNF
