ALAPPUZHA: Every life is precious and all efforts must be made to protect it. A python trapped in an abandoned plastic net in the waterlogged paddy field of Edathua of Kuttanad was saved in such an effort. As reported by TNIE on April 1, Arun C Mohan, a snake rescuer from Alappuzha, turned into its saviour. After 76 days of treatment, the snake was released in the forest in Ranni in full health.
Arun said, “When I spotted the snake in a paddy field at Edathua, it was almost dead. It had deep wounds infested with maggots. It was trapped inside the net and could not come out. The decomposed carcass of another python was also found in another part of the net. It could be the pair of the rescued one. I took it to the Government Veterinary Hospital at Ambalappuzha,” said Arun, a member of the Snake Awareness Rescue and Protection App (SARPA) under the forest and wildlife department.
“Dr Mary Lishi Sebastian cleaned the wounds and removed worms. We also informed the division forest officer and he asked me to preserve it because, if we released it in the jungle then, it might have died. So, I decided to protect it and tried to give it food, but it was hesitant as it was very weak,” said Arun, a medical representative of Abbott India.
“The next day, I brought the python to Treat Unusual Veterinary Hospital at Nangiarkulangara near Haripad for further treatment. Dr S Aswathy of the hospital advised administering of antibiotics and a drip to rescue the reptile. Later, she stitched the wounds. She had dressed the wounds and administered the drip for many days. In a few days, its condition improved and it started taking food,” Arun said. “When I handed over the python to the forest department’s rapid response team members from Ranni, the wound was fully cured and only a scar remained. Had we kept it for more days with us, it would have hampered the snake’s moving ability,” Arun said.