Red sand boa stuck in metal rings rescued from Delhi’s Uttam Nagar

A non-venomous red sand boa was rescued by an NGO in Delhi after being trapped in two metal rings of a motor pump. The snake will be released back into its natural habitat.

A red sand boa, a non-venomous snake, was rescued from Uttam Nagar’s Tilak Enclave by an NGO after residents discovered the snake trapped in two metal rings, officials said on Thursday. The rings were part of a motor pump being serviced outside a house, and the snake is suspected to have gone through them, getting itself stuck.

The red sand boa which was rescued on Thursday. (Wildlife SOS)

A Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) sanitation worker Sanjeev, 54, was the first to discover the snake trying to enter his home. He said he immediately asked his family to head indoors.

“The snake was unable to move as the rings were stuck around its body and it tried to enter a drain to escape. However, it was unable to do so. It then tried to go indoors, but again, the reptile found it hard to move. Since snakes are fairly common in the fields around the nearby Najafgarh drain, I had a helpline number handy with me and I immediately alerted them,” he said, adding they confined the snake to a corner till the rescuers arrived.

An official from the NGO, Wildlife SOS, said they received a call that locals had sighted a red sand boa and sent a two-member team to the spot.

“After identifying the snake, we safely lifted it and used a metal cutter to sever the motor pump rings. The snake is currently under medical observation and will soon be released back into its natural habitat in a forested area,” said an official.

Wasim Akram, deputy director, special projects at Wildlife SOS, said the red sand boa is a non-venomous snake endemic to India, Iran, and Pakistan. The species is also referred to as the “do muha” (double-headed) snake, owing to its thick blunt tail which gives it the appearance of having a head each at both ends.

“It is also easily recognisable due to its shovel-shaped nose. Its unusual appearance has led to numerous superstitions being associated with the snake. Superstition combined with the benign nature of the snake makes it an ideal target for trafficking,” said Akram.

Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder and CEO, Wildlife SOS, said snake sightings in urban settings are not uncommon, adding that calling the NGO’s helpline number (9871963535) can help extract such reptiles without hurting them.