Ten snakes sighted, Gurugram’s wildlife team rescued them in two days

The city’s wildlife rescue team saved ten spectacled cobras on Saturday and Sunday. They received 23 distress calls from residents saying they had spotted snakes near their homes.

A two-foot-long Indian rock python was also rescued from Sector 57 on Sunday morning.

A four-year-old cobra was rescued from Tata Raisina Residency, a sprawling condominium in Sector 59, spread over 12 acres, on Saturday night. Officials of the wildlife rescue team said a security guard spotted the snake near the park around 11pm and alerted the residents.

The team rescued the snake after an effort spanning half-an-hour.

The team also rescued two five-foot-long cobra from Sector 54 on Saturday afternoon. While two more cobras were rescued from Sector 57, another was recovered from Kaliyawas. Three more were rescued — two from Kadarpur and one from Sushant Lok -1.

Officials of the rescue team said that the snakes are mostly sighted in residential areas and grassy patches. They said the reptiles stray into residential spaces in search of food.

Officials said number of snake sightings and recovery increases by almost 70% during monsoon. Areas where such sightings are mostly reported are Sector 57, Sushant Lok 1, DLF Phases 1, 2 and 3, and villages adjacent to the city, including Kadarur, Kaliyawas and Gadoli Khurd.

Anil Gandass, a local wildlife enthusiast, said, “I responded 16 distress calls since Sunday morning. Residents panic when they spot a reptile in the house and at times, they even try to kill them, as was the case with Palam Vihar residents in June.”

“Straying of snakes during monsoon is common in sectors. However, this year, the number of distress calls and rescue has reached an all-time high,” Vinod Kumar, additional principal chief conservator of forests, Gurugram, said.

The city is home to nearly 20 species of different snakes, of which four are highly venomous ones. These are monocled cobra, spectacle cobra, black cobra and common krait.

First Published: Aug 20, 2018 04:56 IST