BENGALURU: This year, the harsh summer and the promise of the arriving monsoon is turning into a tragic proposition for the city’s snake population. Of late, wildlife rescuers in the city are flooded with rescue calls from people asking them to save injured snakes.
Most calls originate from areas like Jayanagar, Hennur, Banaswadi, Ramamurthy Nagar, Hoysala Nagar and Nayandahalli, the rescuers say. Spinal injuries seem to be the most common factor as the limbless reptiles are often run over by vehicles, or crushed by heavy machinery operating in vacant lands, or bitten by dogs as they move around in search of prey.
Recently, Hisss Mohan, a BBMP wildlife warden, rescued two cobras and one rat snake from Hennur, Banaswadi and Hoysala Nagar respectively. All three reptiles were found with spinal injuries.
“Two of the snakes were bitten by dogs, while one of them was injured by an earth mover removing mud from the ground. One snake died,” he said. Chandan Kumar SM, a rescuer with People for Animals (PfA) said that he recently rescued a spectacled cobra which was attacked by a dog in Jayanagar.Senior veterinarian Dr Karthik said that he was treating many snakes with spinal injuries.
Turtles at risk as well
Apart from snakes, even turtles, usually found near water bodies, are paying the price of urbanisation. Recently Hema, a resident of Mysuru, spotted a turtle on the Bengaluru- Mysore highway. While they managed to stop in time, a cursory check showed that the lower part of its shell was already cracked. “We suspect a four-wheeler must have driven over it. We used surgical glue to fix the shell. It also has a head injury and is critical,”Dr. Karthik said.