By Prathamesh Desai
A couple of days ago, a rat snake that was 6.5 ft. long was rescued from a snake charmer. Baiju Raj, a wildlife biologist with Wildlife SOS who has always had a special affection for reptiles, saw the snake charmer at a local market. ‘The charmer’ was using the snake to beg for tips. The rat snake was seized and was taken to the Agra Bear Rescue Facility to be evaluated by a veterinarian.
The rat snake is one of the most common species of snakes in India. This individual was found to have his lips stitched shut. The charmer will do this to ensure that he is not injured or hurt by the snake. When snake charmers use venomous snakes for ‘charming’ they will usually remove the snakes fangs and venomous glands as well.
The snake rescued by Baiju had its stitches removed by Dr. Yaduraj, a Wildlife SOS veterinarian. Currently, the snake is being observed for a few days and he will be released back into its natural habitat when he is determined to be healthy and able to survive.
