Mumbai Rains: Nine snakes rescued in a single day across city

Python found inside the kitchen of a home in Dahisar. Pic/ Rajesh gupta

While the heavy rain hit Mumbai's human population hard, its animal population was just as badly affected. A team from the NGO PAWS (Plant & Animals Welfare Society) Mumbai and Amma Care Foundation (ACF) rescued and relocated nine snakes from various residential areas across the city on Sunday.

The first call was from Dahisar resident Sandesh Dhage of Ashok Van at Dahisar East, who said a snake had entered his house. Akash Pandaya, a volunteer reached the spot quickly and found a 10-foot-long Indian Rock Python inside the kitchen of Dhage's house. His distress call was forwarded to PAWS by the police control room, said Nisha Kunju, whoco-ordinated the rescue calls at PAWS-ACF Helpline.

Volunteers Nisha Kunju, Tanmay Kolte, Akash Pandaya, Siddhesh Thavre and Abhijeet Sawant successfully relocated two Indian Rock Pythons - non-venomous (around 10-feet-long from Dahisar and one around 6.5-feet-long from Ghatkopar), four Checkered Keelback snakes, non-venomous (around 3-feet long from Ghatkopar, around 1.5-foot long from Vikhroli, around 2 and 2.5-foot long from Borivli), a Bamboo Pit Viper, venomous (around 1-foot long from Bhandup), a Russell's Viper, venomous (around 1-foot long from Borivli), and a Rat Snake, non-venomous (4-foot long from Bhandup). "The Forest Department was informed and after a medical examination the snakes were released," said Sunish Subramanian, honorary district animal welfare officer and honorary wildlife warden, Mumbai.

Also Read: See Photos: Large rat snake pops out of shopping cart; supermarket employee gets shock of his life

The PAWS and ACF team who rescued all the snakes from across the city

"Along with other snakes, I examined a 10-feet-long Indian Rock Python weighing 10.250 kg, heavily infested with ticks. After keeping it under observation, it was released in its natural habitat," said veterinarian Dr Manish Pingle.

Also Read: Mumbai witnesses rise in number of snake rescue cases post heavy rains

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