BENGALURU: On Saturday, wildlife rescuer Vivek got a call from a resident of Hebbal Kempapura, informing him that they had spotted three baby snakes near their home. Vivek rushed and rescued all the three snakelets, and left the spot. But just an hour later, the resident once again spotted two more snakelets and contacted Vivek again. After catching these two also, Vivek got suspicious that there could be more baby reptiles in the area. He discovered 12 more snakelets clustered together behind a stone. Vivek caught all of them and released them in the nearest habitat.
With the onset of the hatching season of the spectacled cobra, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has been getting about 200 calls a day for the rescue of its hatchlings.“The mating period of the spectacled cobras was in summer, and now the snakes have got hatched. In a few weeks, the other species of snakes will also start hatching,” Rajesh Kumar, BBMP wildlife rescuer in the North Zone, said.
Similar calls are coming from the East Zone, Hisss Mohan, another wildlife rescuer, said. “Baby snakes are found rolled onto water pipes or even in toilet commodes. Some are even found in shops, resting in a cosy space. Recently, a call came from Rammurthy Nagar where the serpent was found in the commode, and it was quite challenging to bring it out, as it kept slipping away. But, finally it was done,” Mohan recalled.
According to BBMP wildlife rescuers, most of the rescue calls come from Banaswadi, HRBR layout, Kasturi Nagar, RT Nagar, KR Puram, Hesaraghatta, Indiranagar, Yelahanka and Whitefield.At least seven people got bitten by snakes recently, when they tried to rescue it by themselves. “The snakelets do not have parental care and don’t know how to react.
They are venomous, and when people try to catch them, they attack the handler,” said Mohan.Kumar added that many unauthorised snake rescuers are in the city. “They catch the snake and leave it nearby, from where it can come back. Such rescuers should be stopped. BBMP has 20 rescuers, and if we are called, we will reach the spot in no time,” said Kumar.
Dos and don’ts
Keep the premises clean
Make sure there are no rodents in the house as snake’s favourite food is rats
Keep the garden grass trimmed. If you have pots, keep them at some distance from each other or the snake will settle down in the warm space
Check your shoes before wearing them
Make sure the drain holes are closed
Use a torch while walking in dark places
Do not attack the snake or try to kill it, call the rescuer immediately