By Aishuwarya Sudarshan
One breezy October morning saw hundreds of people gather on Nelson Mandela Road.They were witnessing a first of its kind! A seven foot python snake was spotted on a tree.
Frantic calls started pouring into the Wildlife SOS Helpline all explaining how the python was on a compound wall.
The Wildlife SOS Helpline team led by Harshad Solanki along with other team members reached the spot where the large snake was seen on a compound wall at Nelson Mandela road, opposite a famous mall in Delhi. The WSOS team climbed the high wall to try and rescue the snake. The presence of hundreds of people frightened the snake which immediately proceeded to rapidly climb a tall tree next to the wall.
“Because the snake was truly high and beyond the reach of the WSOS team, we had no choice but to call for a Fire Engine to help us with tall mobile ladders to reach the python” said Harshad – Wildlife SOS rescue team member.
After a long three hour ordeal, during which time the python tried attacking the rescuers on two occasions making the rescue operation riskier, the seven foot visitor was finally restrained and safely inside a large cotton snake bag brought by the WSOS team for the purpose.
“Such rescue operations can be dangerous and risky, but someone has to do it in the interest of both public safety and nature protection” said Kartick Satyanarayan, Co founder and Chairperson – Wildlife SOS
“It is such instances that reflect the wildlife wealth that Delhi is host to which sadly don’t receive the respect and protection they deserve” he added
The large python is suspected to have come from the neighboring Jawaharlal Nehru University forest.
