1 2 Vadodara: It’s not just crocodiles that swarm the city roads during the monsoons. Vadodara is invaded by reptiles , including monitor lizards that pop up from every nook and corner of the city during the rainy season. When the water level in the Vishwamitri river swelled following the heavy rains recently, nearly 15 monitor lizards were spotted and rescued in just one week from the dense urban localities.
“We got nearly 100 calls for snakes , including some poisonous ones, from various residential colonies in the city in just eight days. Most of these reptiles entered the houses or sneaked into the two-wheelers,” said a forest official. A few days ago, a monitor lizard was spotted scurrying around in a lane in the Karelibaug area.
Volunteers of the Wildlife Rescue Trust had a tough time catching hold of it. A Russel’s viper (a venomous snake) managed to crawl into a house in the Gotri area of the city and hid behind an LPG bottle in the kitchen. Early on Sunday morning, a cobra was rescued from the main gate of Sayajibaug.
Forest officials and wildlife activists said that they keep getting rescue calls for snakes every day. “Over the last few years, reptile rescue calls have gone up considerably due to expanding city limits as well. We have trained our volunteers in rescuing the reptiles without harming them or the humans,” said Arvind Pawar of the Wildlife Rescue Trust.
A forest official said, “Vadodara is the only city in the state where so many rescue calls of monitor lizards and snakes are made during the rainy season. This is one of the greenest cities in the state and also the ravines of the Vishwamitri River that flows through the city give the reptiles a perfect environment to breed and survive.” “When the river level goes up, many of these reptiles naturally head to the urban localities around,” the official added.
We also published the following articles recently Forest officials successfully rescue 'Makhna' elephant near Bannerghatta Forest officials in Bengaluru successfully rescued a tuskless male elephant near Bannerghatta National Park, resolving ongoing human-animal conflicts that resulted in three casualties. The operation involved 100 personnel, veterinarians, sharpshooters, and trained elephants. The Makhna elephant was sedated, revived, and relocated to Seegekatte elephant camp.
Officials plan to radio-collar and release another elephant soon. Woman's calm and confident snake rescue wins hearts online In Bilaspur, Ajita Pandey, a skilled snake rescuer, calmly removed a snake from an office, impressing onlookers. The event was shared on social media, garnering praise for her composure and expertise.
Indian Railway Accounts Service officer Ananth Rupanagudi highlighted the importance of confidence in handling such tasks. The incident showcased Ajita's bravery and skill. Chhattisgarh nurse who saves life of snakes, is just a call away Ajita Pandey, a nurse and snake rescuer from Bilaspur, became widely recognized through a viral video showing her skillfully handling a rat snake.
Over the past decade, she's saved thousands of snakes and educated the public on their ecological importance, all while working at a government hospital. Her efforts peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic with 984 rescues..
