"I suspect that some trained snake catcher or an expert may have done this cruelty, because it is not easy to handle a Checkered keelback whose bite can be very painful," said snake rescuer, Mita Malvankar.
A Checkered keelback snake was found in an unusual situation at Kandivli (east) on Saturday, as someone had played a sickening trick on the reptile, by covering its head with a used condom.
The snake was disoriented when it was seen near Green Meadows housing society at around 8.30 am. Snake rescuer, Mita Malvankar, told The Times of India, "I had received a call from a local resident, Vaishali Tanha about a snake moving in an erratic manner because a 'plastic bag' was covering its head. When I rushed to the location, I was shocked to see that someone had mischievously put a dirty, used condom on the keelback."
Malvankar quickly caught hold of the 2.5 feet long snake in order to remove the condom, as the reptile was unable to breathe. "I suspect that some trained snake catcher or an expert may have done this cruelty because it is not easy to handle a Checkered keelback whose bite can be very painful, though not venomous. The sharp, needle-like teeth of a keelback sink into its victim, and do not let it go immediately," she added.
The rescued snake was then taken to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Borivali, where the wildlife veterinary officer, Dr Shailesh Pethe, checked its condition. "The snake visibly showed some signs of stress when it was brought to SGNP, but it did not have any external injuries. We later released it at a safe location in the forest. An offence has been registered against unknown persons by the forest officials", he said.
Animal activists have urged citizens to inform the authorities if they have any clues about who the culprits are in this matter. “Snakes are protected species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Hence a maximum seven-year jail term can be given to anyone how hurts or kills them. In this latest cruelty on the keelback, an informer may also be rewarded if they tell the authorities as to who had put the condom on the reptile,'' said another wildlife activist.
Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.
Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news