As 2023 was coming to a close and our team was preparing for the new one to set in, the Wildlife SOS rescue teams across the country carried out their life-saving work by ending the previous year on a high note, and beginning 2024 positively. We bring you a recap of the monthly rescues carried out by our Rapid Response Units in the months of December 2023 and January 2024.
Delhi-NCR
The highlight for Delhi in the month of December was the rescue of baby animals. Displaying prompt action, Wildlife SOS successfully saved a 4-month-old male baby monkey from Saket, and a baby bat from Vasant Kunj. The baby monkey had sustained minor injuries on its left hand and right foot. The baby bat, on the other hand, found itself unable to fly due to cold stress after entering a residence in Vasant Kunj.
In both the cases, the animals were rescued safely and brought for the necessary treatment and care. The mammalian count for the month, including the two aforementioned, stood at 32 animals; 29 of them were rhesus macaques. A total of 63 birds were tended to in December 2023, which included 19 black kites. The team also rescued two spectacled cobras, two Indian wolf snakes, one black-headed royal snake, one Indian rat snake, one common krait, one common sand boa and one Indian rock python.
The month of January 2024 was marked by a crucial mammal species – the golden jackal. While it is rare to receive a rescue call for a golden jackal, our team received two in the month. The first came in at the beginning of the month, notifying the team of a jackal that had suffered dog attacks at a farmhouse in Anand Gram, MG Road in Ghitorni.
The incident unfolded when the owner of the farmhouse discovered the golden jackal being attacked by a pack of four to five dogs. Acting swiftly, the farm owner intervened to drive the dogs away and contacted our helpline. The golden jackal, a young male, displayed visible signs of trauma with bite marks on his thigh. Further examination revealed that the canid had a displaced right hindlimb and a completely fractured left hindlimb femur. The wounds were carefully cleaned, and he was given painkillers and antibiotics to help in the recovery.
Within a week after this incident, the team rescued a three-year-old female golden jackal suffering from cold stress, from Bawana. As a result of severe hypothermia, external heat was provided to the jackal to aid in thermoregulation. The month also saw a crucial rescue from a VIP location, where a monkey was retrieved from Rashtrapati Bhavan. The monkey had a critical injury and was provided treatment by our veterinary team. All three animals were kept under observation till their recovery, and then released once deemed fit by the veterinarians.
Agra
In December, the rescue team in Agra was running around town to get hold of the slithering residents, namely reptiles! From Air Force residences to schools, herpetofauna appeared in a variety of situations. A Bengal monitor lizard was discovered in the Air Force area, much to the surprise of its residents. The reptile was approached with extreme caution as it was found trapped in a crate kept inside the lawn.
The month took an adventurous turn when an 8-foot-long Indian rock python struck panic among the students and staff at Sharda World School in Agra. The giant python was spotted inside the dining area of the boys’ hostel and our rescue team was called for assistance. Quelling any apprehension of threat, the skilled rescuers safely extricated the snake. After the python was found in good health following a medical check-up, it was released back in a suitable natural habitat.
December concluded with the rescue of a distressed barn owl, lying on the playgrounds of Delhi Public School. Due to an encounter with an eagle, the bird exhibited signs of extreme anxiety and stress. Our veterinary team conducted the necessary examinations to ensure the bird’s overall health and well-being, and freed the raptor into its natural habitat when it was considered fit.
January’s highlight was the rescue of an 8-foot-long mugger crocodile from Udesar Gajadhar Singh village in Firozabad. After a group of villagers were surprised by the enormous visitor’s presence in a field, they promptly informed the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department. Our team was soon involved as well, and after employing a trap cage, the rescuers carefully extricated the crocodile.
The chilly and foggy winter night made the nature of this rescue even more difficult. The operation, however, was ultimately successful, and after a thorough health assessment, the reptile was released back into the wild.
The team in Agra saved over 60 reptiles in the months of December 2023 and January 2024. A majority of them were Indian rock pythons and Indian rat snakes. The number of avian rescues stood at a combined total of 37, while 118 mammalian rescues took place in the two months.
Vadodara
One of the biggest highlights of December 2023 was when the Wildlife SOS-GSPCA team, in conjunction with the Gujarat Forest Department, successfully rescued two jungle kittens in Uthiya Village near Vadodara. This operation took place after a concerned villager contacted the Wildlife SOS-GSPCA team, mistaking the two-month-old kittens for leopard cubs.
After our team verified them to be kittens of jungle cats, they were handed over to the forest department ensuring the safety and well-being of the felines. Mistaking jungle cats as leopard cubs may lead to conflict, endangering these felines who come in close contact with human settlements. That’s why our team resorts to awareness drives to preserve their habitats and prevent retaliatory killings of the species.
The month of December saw a total of 28 reptiles being rescued in Vadodara, while 92 birds and 24 mammals got assistance from our team across the city. The start of the year was even busier, with over 100 birds being rescued. With 33 and 34 reptilian and mammalian rescues respectively, it took the tally for January to 163 animals.
Jammu & Kashmir
Up in the northernmost part of the country, our Rapid Response Unit’s work in Kashmir was all about bird rescues. A combined total of three barn owls and five black kites were given aid in December and January. Usually the landscape witnesses frequent appearances of snakes and hence, an equivalent number of rescue calls related to them.
However, winter is a time when snakes don’t appear at all. Due to a phenomenon called brumation, which is their version of hibernation, snakes restrict themselves to an extremely limited amount of activity in order to save energy. As a result, winter is comparatively lighter in terms of rescue calls for our team in Jammu & Kashmir.
Our rescue teams work under challenging conditions to protect wild animals in need of help. So if you ever spot distressed wild animals or suspected instances of poaching and wildlife trafficking, reach out to Wildlife SOS on our emergency rescue helplines:
Delhi-NCR: +91-9871963535
Agra, Uttar Pradesh: +91-9917109666
Vadodara, Gujarat: +91-9825011117
Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir: +91-7006692300, +91-9419778280
