A 13-foot giant python, weighing over 24 kg, was recued from the National Highway. The rescue operation which was carried out by NGO Wildlife SOS lasted around two hours on Thursday night.
The python was spotted near Sherjang Baba kiDargah on the Agra-Mathura freeway. There was panic among commuters after the reptile wandered into the National Highway 2. There was mayhem on the highway with commuters trying to remove the panther from the highway.
But due t improper handling, the distressed python rushed to take freshly dug hole on the side of the road. A local then alerted Wildlife SOS on their 24 hour helpline number.
A three-member rescue team of the NGO arrived at the highway and carried out the operation for the next two hours. The python was found to weigh 24.5 kg. It was a challenge to restrict the the curious bystanders who were asked to maintain a safe distance to avoid any untoward incident.
“The highway is currently undergoing expansion which has restricted the movement of wildlife in the area and often forces them to wander onto the busy roads. The python had fallen into a freshly dug hole on the side of the road which was filled with water due to continuous rain. So we had to be extremely careful in ensuring that the snake was not alarmed or provoked to avoid any casualty,” said Baiju Raj M V, Director Conservation Projects, Wildlife SOS.
The snake was found to be in good health and was soon released into its natural habitat.
A python’s bite can be injurious, said experts. “Although non-venomous, the bite can be injurious so one has to be careful while carrying out any rescue operation. Indian Rock Pythons are threatened by habitat loss, poaching and is a sought after species in the illegal pet trade,” said KartickSatyanarayan, co-founder Wildlife SOS. People who are not trained as rescuers should not try to handle pythons, he added.
