Every month, we receive hundreds of calls regarding urban wildlife in distress. Wildlife SOS operates 24×7 emergency rescue helplines in four regions:
Delhi NCR – +91-9871963535
Agra & Mathura in Uttar Pradesh – +91-9917109666
Vadodara, Gujarat – +91-9825011117
Jammu & Kashmir – +91-7006692300, +91-9419778280
If you come across any wild animal in distress, please alert our rescue team on these numbers as soon as possible!
Amidst the hustle and bustle of the national capital flourishes a plethora of wild animals trying to survive in the concrete jungle. Our Delhi rescue team is constantly on the move, helping animals caught in precarious situations. This September, the Rapid Response unit in the city was busy chasing snakes!
Snakes are a common occurrence throughout the National Capital Region (NCR), specifically during the monsoon season that dominates the month of September. The rain pushes the reptiles out of their burrows to search for food and dry shelter in human-dominated landscapes. As snakes stormed the city, even the President’s Estate wasn’t spared! Our rescue team was called to the iconic Rashtrapati Bhavan to rescue a 2-foot-long Indian Wolf snake that had made itself at home in one of the restrooms on the premises. Proceeding cautiously, the team extricated the snake from the location and transferred it into a transportation carrier.
The jam-packed roads of NCR also attract these slithery denizens. In a nail-biting rescue, an 8-feet-long Indian Rock Python was spotted trying to cross a busy intersection in Techno Boulevard, Noida. By the time our rescue team arrived, the python had slithered up a tree on the road divider. The team had to climb up the tree to safely rescue the snake.
The Delhi helpline did a total of 81 reptile rescues during the rainy month of September! Yet, snakes are not the only animals they encounter. A total of 27 mammals were also rescued in September. An incident involving an Indian Crested Porcupine made evident the danger the rapid urban expansion of our cities poses to its wildlife. A passerby spotted the porcupine as it struggled for its life on a busy street at Shankar Vihar, New Delhi. Concerned for the wellbeing of the animal, the passerby immediately contacted the Wildlife SOS hotline. Our team arrived at the location and discovered that the porcupine had injured its limbs. They transported the frail animal to our Transit Facility, where it was given much-needed medical attention.
Like our national capital, the city of Agra in Uttar Pradesh is also rapidly expanding, often at the expense of the multitude of animals that call the region its home. The Agra rescue team was called in to rescue a four-foot-long Monitor lizard with a plastic jar stuck around its neck! The jar was tightly wrapped around the lizard’s neck, and even minor movement could cause serious injuries. Our team proceeded with caution to free the lizard from the plastic jar.
In another incident, the team rescued four Common Kraits from a 20-foot-deep Borewell in Jugsena village located in Achhnera, Agra! Our rescuers had to climb down the borewell to safely transfer the highly venomous snakes into a transport carrier. The entire operation lasted for around an hour!
The Agra Rescue team even made a trip inside the district jail premises where a five-foot-long Indian Rat snake was found! The snake was comfortably coiled inside the police guard’s room, and to the dismay of the officers, the reptile refused to move. A two-member team from the Wildlife SOS Rapid Response unit rescued the snake and released it back into its natural habitat.
During the busy months of September, our rescue hotline in Vadodara, Gujarat, which is run in collaboration with the Gujarat Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (GSPCA), found itself the most unusual locations. The WildlifeSOS-GSPCA Rescue team was called into Khaswadi cemetery in the Karelibaug area, located in Vadodara city to rescue a 3-foot-long Mugger crocodile!
The Vishwamitri river that gushes through the city of Vadodara is home to over 250 mugger crocodiles. These reptiles often venture out of their natural habitat in search of food or shelter. Rescuing these crocodiles is no easy task and often requires a village of people to ensure that the rescue operation happens with no glitch. In a shocking incident, a six-foot-long Mugger crocodile was found in an artificial pond on a construction site near Kalali Talsat Road on Monday evening. To rescue this distressed reptile, we required ten team members! As a first step, the water had to be pumped from the pond and once the water level decreased, the rescuers entered the waterbody with a big net to extricate the agitated crocodile.
The Wildlife SOS-GSPCA helpline leaves no stone unturned in making Vadodara a safe haven for animals. In September, the helpline rescued 82 reptiles, 21 mammals, and 40 birds!
Our most recently launched helpline in the Jammu and Kashmir region is also operating with full force! The snow-peaked valleys of Kashmir are an exceptionally gifted habitat for wild animals, making our work there even more integral. Our J&K team was called in for the rescue of a majestic black kite from the Eidgah area. A bystander spotted the kite as it lay on the ground, struggling to fly. Our team was promptly at the location and took the kite to our Dachigam center, where it was given medical care and time to recuperate. After a couple of days, the bird was released back into its natural habitat. The team watched with awe as the black kite spread its wings, soaring high above the sky!
In Kashmir, the dense greenery also creates a utopia for snakes. Our team rescued a venomous Levantine viper from the Tara area that had snuck into a compound in a residential area!
The Wildlife SOS Rescue Teams work endlessly to ensure that no animal in distress is left unattended. A total of 507 lives were saved this September.
None of this would have been possible without concerned citizens who took timely action when they saw an animal in need. We thank you for your constant support in creating a world where man and animal live in harmony.
