KOCHI: Even though the Forest Department officials have rescued close to 1,000 pythons during the last two years, Kochi continues to be a haven for the reptiles. As per the data available with the rescue team of Forest Department at Kodanad, on average, more than one python is being rescued from the city everyday as snakes turn urban areas into breeding grounds.
As many as 278 pythons were rescued by the Forest officials from Kochi till September 30 this year.
Last month alone, 66 pythons were shifted to forest areas after being caught from the city limits. In 2018, as many as 441 pythons were rescued from Kochi.
“We get more than one phone call from Ernakulam, Fort Kochi, Kumbalangi and Kakkanad areas everyday. Here we have Indian Rock python which doesn’t harm human beings. Some catch the python and hand it over to nearby police station from where we pick it up. Later, we release the reptile to the dense forest to prevent this variety venturing into human habitat,” an official said.
These pythons prey on rats, cats and birds and therefore can easily survive in a city like Kochi, where rats are abundant. However, Forest officials ruled out the possibility of pythons reaching Kochi and nearby areas during the flood.
“Many people claim the pythons came to the low-lying areas from high ranges during the flood. Pythons are excellent swimmers. What we understand is that pythons are breeding in high numbers in Kochi. In the forest, python eggs and its young ones are preyed on by animals like monitor lizard. However, in urban areas, there are no such threats and pythons breed well. A python lays around 25-30 eggs and in urban areas, the majority of them will survive,” an officer said.