A few days prior to the arrival of monsoon in Capital, rainy season snakes have started to mark their attendance in President's Estate. After receiving a call from Rashtrapati Bhavan, Wildlife SOS rescued an Asian juvenile wolf snake inside a restroom discovered by the house-keeping staff.
The wildlife conservation NGO wasted no time in dispatching a two member team to carry out the rescue operation. The snake was carefully transferred into a safe transport container, designed for the purpose.
According to an official, the incident took place just days after the maintenance staff found another wolf snake in the sprawling lawns of the President's Estate. "Both snakes were found to be in good health and have been released back into the wild," said Wildlife SOS official.
The common wolf snake (lycodon aulicus) is a non-venomous snake species found in South Asia and Southeast Asia.
"They are a highly adaptive species and are commonly found in urban environments. Wolf snakes feed primarily on geckos, rodents and skinks. Mating season begins in summer and extends to monsoon," rescue team official said.
Wasim Akram, Special Projects Manager - Wildlife SOS said "Though relatively small and non-venomous, wolf snakes are alert and can turn aggressive when provoked. They defend themselves by trying to escape or retaliate by biting; therefore, safety precautions must be taken while handling them."
Kartick Satyanarayan, Wildlife SOS co-founder and CEO said, "I thank the staff of the President's Estate for alerting Wildlife SOS to this emergency. Wolf-snakes are non-venomous, but are often mistaken for the highly venomous common krait which it closely resembles. Snakes are ecologically required for rodent control and never attack or bite unless they are cornered, stepped on or threatened. Wildlife SOS works round-the-clock to rescue and relocate these misunderstood creatures to maintain public safety and help people coexist with these beautiful animals."