The much-anticipated rains finally broke the prolonged dry spell looming over the city this week, but it also brought with it a lot of snakes!

A seven-foot-long Python found hanging on a tree in People for Animals, Dayalbagh, a venomous cobra stuck under a door in Fatehpur Sikri, a five-foot-long Python on a tree in Shilpgram near Taj Mahal East Gate, these are some of the interesting rescues carried out by Wildlife SOS this week!

It’s been raining snakes in Agra and the Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit knows they’re in for a hectic week, as the NGO’s 24-hour rescue helpline has been ringing off-the-hook with news of some very interesting snake calls that were sighted in the unlikeliest of places!

The Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit has rescued 18 reptiles this week including a five-foot-long Indian Rock Python from Shilpgram Marg near Taj Mahal East Gate, a four-foot-long Cobra found stuck under a door in Fatehpur Sikri, a seven-foot-long python hanging on a tree in PFA, Dayalbagh, a wolf snake from a handicrafts shop in Khandari. The NGO also rescued two rat snakes from a Dhaba on NH-2 and a red sand boa from an E-Solutions shop in Sanjay Place in Agra.

A total of six rat snakes, four wolf snakes, three Indian Rock Pythons, two Cobras, two Common Kraits, and a red sand boa have been rescued this week.

Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-Founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS, said “Snakes making their way into buildings and residences is a common occurrence during rains. Most snake species are burrowing reptiles and spend most of their time underground, but they are forced to seek shelter on higher ground when their homes get destroyed due to flooding. Moreover, the monsoons mark the mating season for frogs, and being a common prey base for snakes, a rise in their population attracts various snake species. We are glad to see that people are making a conscious decision to help out reptiles in distress by reporting such incidents to Wildlife SOS.”

Baiju Raj M.V, Director Conservation Projects for Wildlife SOS, said, “We get maximum calls for reptile rescues in the monsoon season and we end up rescuing sometimes up 5 to 6 snakes a day! As the rains bring much-needed respite from the grueling heat, it also sometimes displaces snakes out of their hiding places and forces them to seek shelter from the floods. It is heartening to see a rise in the number of people making an informed decisions of calling our helpline instead of taking matters into their own hands which can end in casualty on either side.”