As many as 25 snakes were rescued from the Taloja MIDC area in the past few days of March. Of these 25 snakes, 20 snakes were spectacled cobras (venomous) and the remaining five were rat snakes (non-venomous). Kharghar based NGO- Snake Awareness Association and Wildlife Rescue Centre (SAAWR) rescued these snakes from the premises of industrial units.
Industrial units from the Taloja and other private companies sought help from SAAWR whenever they notice a snake. The volunteers from the NGO reach that spot and rescue the snake.
Raghunath Jadhav, chief coordinator of the NGO said, “Ours is the only NGO operating in Taloja MIDC, and in the first eleven days of March, we rescued a total of 25 snakes from different industrial units. We had received rescue calls from industrial units during January and February, but the number was very less as compared to March.” He added that the snake came out of their holes due to the summer heat.
“With soaring temperature, the snakes are coming out of their natural habitats and entering the premises of the private companies. We release the rescued snakes in the dense forests near Kharghar hills in close collaboration with the forest the department,” he said.
In view of increasing cases of snakes entering the premises of the industrial units the NGO has also started conducting workshops to train their employees on how to rescue a snake and handle it after that.
“So far three companies have invited us for conducting such workshops. One more such workshop is scheduled in another company on Saturday too. In such workshops we explain different tactics of catching a snake by using power-point presentations and later give demonstrations using a plastic snake,” Jadhav further said.
