Navi Mumbai: WWA rescues 10-feet-long python from home in Turbhe MIDC

Members of the Wildlife Welfare Association (WWA) rescued a ten-feet-long python from a house in Turbhe MIDC early this week after the reptile was noticed. The rescued python was around a year-old and it was released in the nearby forest.

Deepak Gaikwad, a snake rescuer from WWA said that during the monsoon, snakes come out of their burrows after it gets filled with water in search of a safe place. “On many occasions, they enter the residential areas and they need to be handled only by experts,” said Gaikwad. He added that WWA receives a number of calls during this season.

On Monday, Praneet Kalambate, a resident of Bonsari village in Turbhe MIDC noticed that a ten-feet-long python slithered into his house. Instead of provoking the reptile, Kalambate called Gaikwad for help. “I immediately rushed to the spot. The python was searching for a safe place inside the house,” said Gaikwad, adding that due to the many narrow hiding places in the house, it was difficult to catch the snake. However, after an hour and a half of tireless efforts, the giant python was rescued. The python was released in its natural habitat (forest) area.

According to Gaikwad, in the last four or five days, they rescued snakes from different parts of the city and released them into the forest. In addition to the ten-feet-long python, one more three-feet-long python was rescued in the Nerul MIDC area. “If any snake is noticed in a residential area, do not try to catch it without training. Due to a lack of knowledge about snakes, many people are bitten by snakes and a few of them have lost their lives. It’s better to call an expert,” appealed Deepak.

Gaikwad said that reptiles also enter residential areas in search of food like rats or other small insects. “We should not throw food outside homes as it will attract rats and finally reptiles can venture there in search of food,” added Gaikwad.