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Rains bring reptiles out, 22 rescued in last 72 hours in Agra
Amidst continuous rainfall for the last 72 hours, the Wildlife SOS has so far rescued 22 reptiles, including Indian wolf snakes, monitor lizard, common cat snake, keelback snakes to name a few.
The much awaited rains in Agra region finally broke the prolonged dry spell, but it also became the reason for a lot of reptiles to find safer, dry spots to hide.
Amid continuous rainfall for the last 72 hours, the Wildlife SOS has so far rescued 22 reptiles, including Indian wolf snakes, monitor lizard, common cat snake, keelback snakes to name a few from residential areas.
In a press statement, the public relation office of Wildlife SOS informed that these snakes were spread all over and recovered from weird spots and locations.
“Two Indian wolf snakes took shelter inside a shoe in Shahzadpur, Mathura, among the two checkered keelback snakes- one was rescued from the toilet of a house in Kalindi Vihar and another from an air conditioner in Dayalbagh. A common cat snake was found coiled up on the handlebar of a bicycle,” said the press statement.
“Other rescued reptiles included two massive monitor lizards- one was rescued from a drain in Radha Nagar, Balkeshwar and another from a paper bowl manufacturing factory located in Rambagh, Agra. Thus, the Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit has already rescued 22 reptiles in first three days of this month,” stated Arnita Shandilya, the spokesperson for Wildlife SOS.
A total of 7 monitor lizards, 5 Indian rat snakes, 3 checkered keelbacks, 3 cobras, 2 Indian wolf snakes, 1 black-headed royal snake and a common cat snake have been rescued by Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit.
Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder & CEO Wildlife SOS said, “The rains usually bring a rise in reptile sightings. As common shelters for snakes and monitor lizards are getting submerged in water, they are looking for safe and dry land, thus inadvertently being spotted in buildings and residences during rains. Moreover, the monsoons mark the mating season for frogs and being a common prey base for snakes, a rise in their population attracts various snake species.”
Baiju Raj MV, director Conservation Projects for Wildlife SOS, said, “We get maximum calls for reptile rescues in the monsoon season and sometimes we end up rescuing up to 6-8 reptiles a day. It is heartening to see a rise in the number of people making an informed decision of calling our helpline instead of taking matters into their own hands which can end in casualty on either side. Our rapid response unit works round the clock to ensure no call for aid is left unanswered.”
