Endangered six-year-old red sand boa worth ₹50 lakh rescued from Gurugram
GURUGRAM: A four-foot-long female red sand boa, weighing 3kg, was rescued from a condominium on Sohna Road on Friday morning by Gurugram wildlife officials.
The snake has been safely released into the Aravalli forest, its natural habitat , a wildlife official said.
According to officials, this is the first time they rescued such a hefty red sand boa from the city. Until now, the biggest one rescued weighed about 1kg.
Nitin, an administrative official of the RWA estate office of Park View City-2, a condominium on Sohna Road, was told by a security guard that a snake was seen near the apartment wall around 10.30am.
“Before panic could spread among people, we called the helpline number of the Gurugram wildlife department, and within 45 minutes, a team of three officials reached us. Residents had started gathering by then, and some of them were scared. So the security guards had cordoned off the area,” said Nitin.
Anil Gandas, a wildlife conservationist, part of the rescue team, reached the condominium and caught the snake.
“She was unhurt. I had been worried until I reached the society, as people at times get scared and kill these reptiles. Fortunately, residents are becoming more sensitised, and instead of taking matters in their own hands, they immediately report such incidents to wildlife officials,” said Gandas.
The non-venomous red sand boa, known as the two-headed snake (its tail looks like a head), is a protected species under Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, as it is endangered . Some people even believe it brings good luck and cures AIDS.
“These snakes are sold at a very expensive price and people have been arrested for selling them twice in the past. A red sand boa, weighing more than 2kg, is sold for about ₹50 lakh,” said Gandas.
This is the first red sand boa rescued this year. In 2017, the wildlife department had rescued 20 of them. In two incidents, villagers had killed them with stones and sticks, said an official.
Vinod Kumar, additional principal chief conservator of forests, Gurugram, said, “We regularly sensitise people to ensure they inform us and do not try to harm the snakes. There have been around 50 rescue operations across the city last year and all have been successful.”