This Sangam city ‘Tarzan’ has risked his life rescuing 2K reptiles, wild animals
PRAYAGRAJ: Ankit aka Tarzan of Prayagraj is busy these days rescuing reptiles and other animals that have come out of their burrows following heavy rains in the district.
Ankit Jaiswal (24), rescues snakes, monitors lizards and other wild animals being spotted in homes and other areas of the city, and releases them safely in their natural habitat.
The prime objective is to safely rescue the animal before it is killed by panic-stricken people. Ankit, a resident of Kydganj locality, and his friend Ashish rush to the spot soon after they receive a call about the presence of a wild animal.
He has rescued over 2000 animals until now, including snakes and big lizards but crocodiles, alligators, Kabar bijju, pythons, fox, jackals, and peacocks.
Besides receiving rescue calls from people across the city, he also receives help from the police, army and other departments, if any wild animal is spotted on their premises. Moreover, the forest department often takes his services for rescuing reptiles.
Without using any safety gear, Ankit takes a risk in rescuing the wild animals. Despite being bitten once by a cobra, he continues saving the lives of animals and relieving locals from their terror.
“People usually call the local police station after they spot snakes or wild animal inside their houses. As I have given my number to many cops, they immediately contact me for rescuing the animal. We then release the rescued animal usually at Arail and the forest area of Bhita. We do not have any fixed fee for the service but we accept whatever people give us for the expense of coming to the spot. People should not panic after they spot snakes or wild animal, and instead, they should evacuate the place immediately. The reptiles themselves are afraid of humans and try to escape,” he said.
Ankit has not taken any formal training to catch and rescue animals but has developed the expertise by watching TV channels—Animal Planet, National Geographic, Discovery etc.
“I developed an interest in reptiles and wild animals as I used to watch these channels. I was inspired by experts rescuing animals. While the experts are equipped with sophisticated safety equipment and antivenom serum, I have to rely only on a stick to catch the deadliest of snakes,” he said.