Deadly snakes rescued from Aarey vicinity

Mumbai: Nearly 11 different types of snakes, including ve-nomous, non-venomous and semi-venomous we-re rescued from residential sites near Aarey within a span of two days. The NGOs, which rescued the snakes, pinned the blame on deforestation.

Among the snakes rescued were Keel back, Checkered Keel back and Green Keel back (non-venomous snakes that can be easily mistaken for a highly venomous snake called the rough-scaled snake); Russell’s viper and spectacled cobra (highly venomous); wolf snake (non-venomous); one trinket snake (non-venomous constrictor species of colubrid snake); and five rat snakes as well as one Indian Rock Python (non-venomous). These snakes were rescued by volunteers of the Plant & Animal Welfare Society – Mumbai  from areas surrounding the Aarey forest such as Borivali and Bhandup.

The PAWS- helpline received a distress call from Rajesh Thakur, a resident of Bhandup, stating that a snake had been spotted behind his house. A volunteer of PAWS Nisha Kunju rushed to the spot and rescued a five-foot-long Checkered Keel back. Another 1.5-foot-long snake was rescued from Kalpataru Crest following a call received from Prashant Kulkarni.

Sunish Subramanian, honorary wildlife warden of Mumbai said, “After chopping trees, these serpents and other wild animals have been displaced and might have reached other places in search of a new habitat.”