An inquiry has been launched by police to find the gang of intoxicated guys who were seen on camera forcing beer down the mouth of a terrified python.
The men could be seen partying in the South African bush while clinging to the six-foot-long snake in the disturbing video.
Opening its mouth, the gang emptied the entire 750ml bottle of beer into its mouth.
A crowd of other partygoers were heard cheering and laughing in the 14-second clip as one of the men looked ready to pour a second bottle down the helpless python's throat.
The group is currently being sought after by law enforcement on allegations of animal abuse.
African Rock Pythons are non-venomous snakes and kill by constricting prey. They can swallow large antelopes, crocodiles and in rare cases humans.
They are, nonetheless, regarded as a protected or vulnerable species. Sentences for killing pythons can vary from a £2,000 fine to years in jail.
Experts on snakes have cautioned that alcohol is intolerable for reptiles' digestive systems. The alcohol most certainly scorched its interior tissues, killing it or seriously injuring it. According to Michael Grover, the creator of the website Reptiles and Amphibians, drinking alcohol can be fatal in any amount and can lead to "disorientation and a loss of coordination."
He warned: "If a snake drinks alcohol it can be fatal as it is highly toxic to them and can cause severe damage to its liver and other organs leading to organ failure and death."
While a thorough investigation is being conducted, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) has posted the horrifying footage online and issued a request for information.
A spokesman wrote: "This is a threatened or protected species of African rock python being effectively tortured and we will bring the full force of the law into play. The snake is being force-fed with beer and it is clearly cruelty and it is causing the python immense suffering and it could very well have caused a painful death for it.
"The public outrage on social media has born full testament to the fact that animal cruelty is not only not accepted in South Africa but also won't be tolerated."