Games venues get animal helpline

When a four-foot slithering killing machine managed to enter one of the most secure places in the country without any accreditation, the Organising Committee decided to do something major about it. So they called in a helpline. An animal helpline, to be precise.

When a four-foot slithering killing machine managed to enter one of the most secure places in the country without any accreditation, the Organising Committee decided to do something major about it. So they called in a helpline. An animal helpline, to be precise.

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Along with thousands of police and paramilitary personnel armed to the teeth, a group of mild-mannered men and woman will now protect hundreds of athletes at the Games venues with just a stick and hook in hand.
After an adult cobra was found inside the R.K. Khanna Tennis Stadium, the OC has deployed teams of Wildlife SOS members at all the Games venues. This is to ensure that swift action is taken in case any sort of wild animal again manages to enter the premises.

The decision to deploy these teams was taken after a meeting the OC had on Monday evening. “We offered a proposal to the Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee to round up snakes from all the Games venues and sites, as due to the incessant rains chances of them having sneaked into some of the Games premises is high. We got a confirmation to place our teams on Monday evening. However, the exact details of our deployment are still being chalked out,” said a spokesperson for Wildlife SOS.

According to Wildlife SOS they will patrol all the venues in four teams of four members.

“We are also going to start a helpline inside the Games village and other venues. The number will be flashed prominently at all major places. The security personnel at the venues will be briefed about what all they have to do incase any wild animal is spotted,” added the spokesperson.

The OC is now working on providing the members of Wildlife SOS with accreditation so that they can be deployed as soon as possible.