Though mentioned together in one go, Jammu & Kashmir are actually two entirely different regions. Jammu region is largely home to plains, whereas the Kashmir Valley is replete with mountains and valleys. Jammu falls in a sub-tropical climate zone, whereas Kashmir boasts of having a temperate one. The differences mentioned have played a significant role in deciding which wildlife species thrive in the two regions as well. While Jammu & Kashmir are home to snow leopards and Himalayan brown bears, the barking deer can only be found in the Jammu region.
With great diversity of wildlife also comes a huge responsibility to protect them, especially when their breathtaking habitats are diminishing due to anthropogenic activities that are on the rise. Kashmir witnesses countless visitors which in turn brings in vehicular traffic. However, in some odd cases, carriers for tourists inadvertently carry certain slithering creatures, transporting them to unfamiliar regions. Yes, we are referring to snakes that often wind up on J&K’s serpentine roads!
While the ecology may vary in J&K, the demand for goods required remains constant. This is another way how snakes take a ride into J&K with the supplies that arrive from various parts of the country. The Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit in J&K has rescued numerous snakes from cargo vehicles, goods transporters, tourist cabs, and buses. These rescue efforts are performed by experts and run smoothly, however, releasing the snakes back into the wild is often challenging since their original habitats may lie on the other side of Kashmir’s borders.
Let’s take you to a case from September of 2022. It was a typical busy day in Kashmir, with workers unloading flour sacks at the market. But amidst the routine clatter of commerce, an unexpected discovery brought everything to a halt: a snake was spotted coiled between the bags, and its presence created alarm. Fortunately, people were well aware of our organisation and its ability to handle such situations, and so, a quick call to the helpline brought Ms. Aaliya Mir, Project Manager & Education Officer at Wildlife SOS J&K, to the scene.
Workers believed this snake to be a Russell’s viper, but Ms. Aaliya dismissed the misidentification by showing images of the non-venomous common sand boa. Common sand boas are not native to Jammu & Kashmir, which confirmed that it had climbed on to the vehicle from a different state. Ms. Aaliya highlighted the irregular black patches found on the common sand boa, a pattern different from the elliptical spots on the Russell’s viper. Once she managed to alleviate confusion among the crowd, the rescue was carefully carried out. Since the weather of Kashmir was not apt for the common sand boa, the snake was safely released back into a more suitable and dense forest in Jammu.
Another incident involving a snake amidst goods took place in September 2024. Wildlife SOS received a peculiar call from Parimpora Mandi in Srinagar that described the snake being tiny in size. But the surprising element during the conversation was that this snake was spotted curled up inside an egg tray within a delivery vehicle transporting groceries collected from places far and wide. Upon arrival, the rescue team was quick to identify this snake as a common wolf snakelet, a non-venomous species endemic to J&K, that had in all probability hitched a ride midway. After safely extricating it, the snake was released into the wild.
However, not every encounter with a snake results in it being prevented from tragic consequences. Ms. Aaliya recalls that in one incident that took place in October 2024, the team received a call about a supposedly dead cobra lying on the roadside of central Kashmir.
Holding on to a glimmer of hope, she rushed to the site to find that the snake was still alive. However, it had suffered a brutal attack after being spotted in a coal cargo vehicle, leaving the snake in a fragile condition.
Reptilian metabolism is slow, which means in lower temperatures snakes can remain inactive and survive longer without food. This is why it’s advised never to place a hand near the head of a seemingly dead snake. Instead, reach out to snake experts who can handle them tactfully. Recognising the urgency of the situation, Ms. Aaliya safely carried the injured cobra to the Dachigam Rescue Centre, where it was kept in a makeshift box.
The Indian cobra received essential vitamins and medication to aid its recovery. It only took five days for the snake to regain its strength. Indian or spectacled cobras are not endemic to Jammu & Kashmir either, and while they find their distribution across Jammu, Kashmir certainly does not qualify as their habitat. This is why Ms. Aaliya reached out to the South Division Warden of Pahalgam in Kashmir to ensure that the cobra is safely released in a habitat that would suit it best.
While our team has conducted rescues of reptiles from vehicles, there have been cases when a snake finds a perfectly tight spot to tangle itself in! In August 2022, A royal black-headed snake that had somehow wedged itself inside the bonnet of a tourist taxi in Khayam, one of the most beautiful destinations in Srinagar.
When the team arrived, they saw that half of the snake’s body was tightly coiled inside the car’s engine, with the other half dangling near the steering column. It seemed like the reptile entangled itself in an attempt to escape: it was stuck, unable to move forward or backward.
The team carefully assessed how best to free the snake, and understood that this would require mechanical assistance. Locating a mechanic in the area did take time, but when he arrived, his suggestion was to perform welding in the concerned area. This option was put down as the heat caused during the process could be extremely dangerous for the snake. Our intent was to prevent any harm to this serpent in distress.
Thinking on her feet, Ms. Aaliya devised a clever plan: there was a small hole near the steering side through which the snake had attempted to pass through. She suggested that to make it wider, a second hole could be created right next, forming a passageway for the snake to be safely extricated. And just as she had thought, this plan worked! After an exhausting three-hour ordeal, the snake was finally rescued.
While dramatic rescues grab eyeballs, the ultimate goal is to first manage crowds, and then make sure that the animal is safely rescued and released. In Jammu & Kashmir, the suitability of habitat where the snake has to be released is a significant factor that the rescue team has to keep in their mind so that the serpent survives. Indian cobras prefer the humid weather of tropical and subtropical regions, while common sand boas inhabit arid areas. Kashmir experiences only three months of summer, with the rest of the year being harshly cold, making its environment inhospitable for many reptiles. Struggling to adapt can risk their lives. Moreover, indiscriminate release of rescued snakes will, in all likelihood, make them slither toward human settlements in search of warmth and shelter — and result in inevitable human-reptile conflicts that could result in aggressive attacks, and even, mortality.
This is why Wildlife SOS is actively engaged in conservation research, including a project focused on Levantine vipers that are often rescued in Kashmir. By tagging and tracking these vipers, the organisation aims to understand their territorial behaviour and interactions with other reptiles, ultimately informing them of better conservation and future release strategies.
At Wildlife SOS, every rescue is a step towards coexistence. From cargo-hitchhiking reptiles to stranded snakes in vehicle bonnets, our team works tirelessly to ensure their safe return to the wild. But we can’t do it alone! To ensure timely response in case you spot wildlife in distress, reach out to Wildlife SOS that operates 24×7 emergency rescue helpline in J&K, and across other regions:
Jammu & Kashmir – +91-7006692300, +91-9419778280
Delhi-NCR – +91-9871963535
Agra, Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) – +91-9917109666
Vadodara (Gujarat) – +91-9825011117
Feature image: Mradul Pathak/ Wildlife SOS
