BHUBANESWAR: A five-feet-long rat snake that had its head stuck inside a drinks can in Patia locality was rescued by volunteers of city-based Snake Helpline here on Tuesday.
Snake Helpline general secretary Subhendu Mallik said some locals spotted the snake’s head trapped inside the can and informed the organisation. Two volunteers Niharika Mohapatra and Purnachandra Das reached the spot and removed the can with a metal cutter.
The snake was found unhurt with no visible injury marks on its neck. It was later released back into the wild.
Terming the incident as a case of poor waste disposal, Mallik said abandoned cans become a refuge for small frogs, toads, rodents, snakes and other reptiles and can cause their death. “We need to be careful about it” he added.
The volunteers also counselled the local residents about the non-venomous rat snake and its importance in the ecosystem. They urged them to properly crush the cans after use and not dump them in the open.