Rat snake rescued from JNU campus

NEW DELHI: The Wildlife SOS staff rescued a five-foot rat snake from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus on Wednesday.

NEW DELHI: The Wildlife SOS staff rescued a five-foot rat snake from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus on Wednesday.

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According to an official of the Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit, they responded to a distress call on their 24-hour rescue helpline about a snake on the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus.

“Some students, who were on their way to the library, were shocked to spot the large reptile wandering on the campus and rushed to inform the security personnel on duty. They immediately contacted us for assistance and a team of two trained snake rescuers was dispatched to the location,” he said.

During the rescue, it was identified that the reptile was a rat snake. It was put into a safe transport container and was later released.

Geeta Seshamani, co-founder of Wildlife SOS, said rat snakes were harmless to human beings and they mostly fed on rodents, lizards, birds and small mammals.

“Delhi still has a few patches of forest that are home to such unique wildlife and it is essential that we remain sensitive to the presence of wild animals in the National Capital Region. Our team works hard to sensitise people to these largely misunderstood creatures and make it possible for them to co-exist in urban areas,” she said.