The five-foot python was found entangled inside the car’s engine. (Express)At 11 am Sunday, Avnish Sharma got inside his car near DLF Farms in Chhatarpur where it had been parked since Saturday afternoon. As the 38-year-old started the car to head back home, he heard some noise, like “firecrackers going off”, from the engine.
“I thought something must have happened because of the rain. I pulled over, opened the bonnet and saw a huge python entangled behind the engine,” Sharma said.
“I was frightened and though I knew it was not a poisonous snake, I did not go near it,” he added.
Sharma, who runs an internet service providing company, immedietaly called his friends for help and later approached security guards of a residential society nearby, who got him the contact details for Wildlife SOS.
A rapid response unit of Wildlife SOS arrived at the spot within an hour. By then, a crowd of over “100 people” had gathered around the car.
The operation for removing the five-foot-long Indian Rock Python lasted nearly two hours as the team had to call a mechanic and open dashboard frames to pull out the reptile.
Wasim Akram, deputy director of special projects at Wildlife SOS, said, “Rescuing the snake was difficult as it was surrounded by more than 100 people who wanted to catch a glimpse of it. Our rescuers had to ensure that they did not startle the reptile.”
After being rescued, the python was released in Asola-Bhatti wildlife sanctuary.
A spokesperson for the non-profit body added that the Indian Rock Python is often mistaken to be dangerous because of its size.
“Not many people know that pythons are non-venomous. These reptiles often get killed when they venture into human surroundings,” the spokesperson added.
