A 5-foot-long Black-headed Royal snake, sighted in the Mandawali Police Station premises was rescued by the Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit. In another incident, the NGO rescued a four-foot-long Checkered keelback snake from a house in Gandhi Vihar. Both snakes are currently under observation and will soon be released back into the wild.
Officials at the Mandawali Fire Station had a ‘hiss-terical’ start to their day after a snake was sighted in the premises. Taking quick action, the authorities immediately contacted the Wildlife SOS team. The NGO deployed a team of two trained snake rescuers to carry out the rescue operation.
Identified as a Black-headed Royal snake, the reptile was carefully transferred into a snake bag and is currently under observation.Wasim Akram, Deputy Director-Special Projects for Wildlife SOS, said, “The Black-headed royal snake is a non-venomous species and they can be easily identified by the distinct black colouring on their head, and the dark speckles on their bodies. We are thankful to the officers at the Mandawali Fire Station for acting out of compassion for the snake and immediately alerting the Wildlife SOS helpline.”
In another incident, a family residing in Gandhi Vihar were shocked to find a snake nestled inside their water pump motor. A closer look at the snake confirmed that it was a Checkered keelback (Fowlea piscator), also known as the Asiatic water snake.
The Wildlife SOS team worked meticulously and carefully to ensure that the snake experienced minimum stress while being extricated.
Kartick Satyanarayan, CEO and Co-founder of Wildlife SOS, said, “Though non-venomous, keelbacks turn aggressive when threatened, and may bite in retaliation or self-defence. Caution needs to be maintained while carrying out such rescue operations. Owing to their offensive nature, they are also often mistaken to be cobras and are met with hostility. Our rescue team holds great expertise in carrying out such rescues.”