By Shruti Prabhala
This New Year brought a surprise visitor to a village in Mathura. A seven foot long python was found by one of the villagers who immediately contacted the forest officer of the Mathura Forest Department, Uttar Pradesh. The forest officer kept the villagers away from the surroundings while he reported the sighting to the rescue team of Wildlife SOS.
The team consisting of 3 members rushed to the spot where the python was found after a long search came across the reptilian trying to find refuge in a dark corner away from the villagers. It was clearly afraid of the crowd that had gathered about it.The rescue team gently restrained the reptile and brought him to the Wildlife SOS clinic. After a thorough examination, the x-ray reports revealed that the python had a lower mandibular fracture and its tail end was swollen due to a burn injury. Apparently, while hiding from the crowd, the python’s tail landed on a burnt log of wood which created the injury.
Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder, Wildlife SOS said, “There is a need for us to respect the biodiversity around us. Snakes are misunderstood because of their size and mythical rumors surrounding them. They are non-venomous and no danger to humans.”
Currently, the treatment is still going on. The snake is recovering and will be released in its natural habitat once its injuries are healed. Geeta Seshmani, Co-Founder, Wildlife SOS said,” Pythons are feared by many people who tend to kill them by mistaking them to be venomous. They are endangered species and protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. We are relieved that our team was able to reach the location in time and help rescue the python.”
