SRINAGAR A nearly four-foot-long, extremely rare snake called Eastern Cliff Racer was rescued by Wildlife SOS from Chesma shahi hutment area while a rat snake was rescued from a house in Pampore.
Both snakes were kept under observation and later released back into their natural habitat, according to a statement.
Earlier this week, the wildlife conservation NGO said, it received a distress call about an unusual snake that was spotted in the garden at Chesma shahi hutment area.
It wasnt long before the incident was reported to Wildlife SOS and the Jammu & Kashmir Wildlife Protection Department (JKWLPD). A three-member rescue team led by Aaliya Mir along with JKWLPD officers rushed to carry out the rescue operation. The snake was later identified as an Eastern Cliff Racer, a mildly-venomous snake species. It took nearly 30 minutes for the team to safely extricate the distressed reptile and transfer it in a transport carrier, the statement said.
The Eastern Cliff Racer (Platyceps ladacensis), is a mildly-venomous snake species that is found in the rocky terrain between 350m to 3000m and their distribution in India is confined to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. This species primarily feeds on lizards, small mammals, small birds and their eggs. Their bite may cause pain and swelling at the bite region, the statement.
Aaliya Mir, Project Manager and Education Officer – Wildlife SOS, said Owing to its uncommon sighting and widespread unfamiliarity, the Eastern Cliff Racer is often met with hostility upon human encounter. People tend to panic on spotting a snake as not everyone can distinguish the venomous ones form the non-venomous ones. Wildlife SOS works closely with local communities in the state of Jammu and Kashmir to spread awareness at various levels and extend aid to wildlife in distress.
The Wildlife SOS team received a call about a 5-foot-long rat snake that was spotted in the kitchen garden of a house in Pampore. Shocked and terrified at the sight of the reptilian visitor in their midst, the family urged Wildlife SOS to quickly intervene. Rat snake (Ptyas mucosa), also known as the Oriental rat snake is a highly adaptable species and are commonly found in urban areas.
Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-Founder and CEO, Wildlife SOS, said It is extremely important for people to remain sensitive to the many wild species that we share a habitat with. We are happy to see people taking correct measures by calling our team in such situations. We request the public to keep supporting our cause and immediately report any such situations to our team.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
