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Snake Rescue team in action in Cuttack

CUTTACK: An eight feet long python was rescued from near the residential colonies of Abhinav Bidanasi here on Monday morning by the members of ‘Snake Rescue’, a local organisation working for the conservation of endangered snakes.

The non-venomous serpent of rock python category was handed over to the Forest Department by its rescuers. The snake was spotted frequently by the locals near a dumping yard of Bidanasi village and the Snake Rescue chief Bibhudutta Jena was tracking it for the last six months.

Jena became sure that it was a python when he spotted it de-scaling only few days ago.

“Our efforts to rescue the python became vigorous and this morning we were informed about its presence at the garbage yard,” Jena said.

He along with three of his fellow researchers took only few minutes to get hold of the mighty snake, which is believed to be only one-year-old.

In this endeavour, the snake had also bitten Jena but he escaped and is safe “The python got hold of my right wrist and I sustained a minor injury.

But I have taken an injection for it and there is nothing to worry about it,” Jena said.

Jena and his friends are however, upset over the fact that though many steps are now being taken to conserve the endangered animals, very little is being done for the conservation of python, which is one of the ‘Schedule-1’ animals along with tiger under the Wildlife Protection Act.

Killing or trading of animals like python invite a minimum imprisonment of three years and a maximum of five years under the Act.

Kamalakanta Das, Ranjit Singh and Bhupen Mohanty, all from the Snake Rescue organisation assisted Jena in rescuing the python on Monday.

They claim that they have rescued more than 3,500 snakes in the last 20 years. Among the rescued snakes, about 20 were pythons, both of rock and reticulate varieties, Jena added.

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