Seasnake,anotherfoundinhills,rescuedfromcity’ssuburbs
Two snakes - one aquatic, that got caught in a fishing net and landed at a fish market in Bhandup and another - usually found in the hilly regions in Easter n and Wester n India that had made its way to a flat in Mulund, were rescued from the suburbs by a wildlife NGO.
One of the snakes rescued is commonly called the Travancore Wolf Snake which grows about 60 cm long and is a hill-dwelling species which prefers high-elevation wet forests. It was found behind the cupboard of a ground floor flat in Mulund West. Hasmukh Valanju, volunteer with Plants and Animals Welfare Society (PAWS) and Amma Care Foundation (ACF) rescued it on receiving a call on the helpline from the flat resident.
“Its not clear how it got there. We had earlier recently rescued a Common Sand Boa usually found in arid areas, that had reached here in a vegetable tempo from Nashik,” said Sunish Subramanian, honorary wildlife warden and founder of PAWS - Mumbai ACF team.
The sea snake, commonly called a File snake, that was around two feet long was found in a fish market in Bhandup West. It was spotted by an alert visitor to the market, who called the NGO’s helpline. “The snake, being aquatic, cannot survive for long out of water. Thanks to the alert caller who infor med us, it could be saved. The visitor found it on the ground struggling after it had probably been thrown out by a vendor,” says Subramanian.
Both the rescues were examined by Dr. Rahul Meshram, honorary veterinarian, PAWS, before the NGO infor med the forest department and released them into their natural habitats.
For rescuing animals, reptiles and birds in distress, call helpline no 02225968314/9833480388.