With rains flooding Vadodara in Gujarat, varied reptiles have been forced to come out and seek shelter elsewhere. Among the creatures rescued by the Wildlife SOS and Gujarat Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals team were a Mugger crocodile and Buff-striped keelback snakes.
The team removed a 4.5-foot-long Mugger crocodile which had ventured inside the premises of a factory near the Vishwamitri area. The creature was carefully lured into a trap cage by the team and handed over to the Forest Department. It is believed that it had entered into the compound from the nearby Vishwamitri river.
Speaking about this incident, Kartick Satyanarayan, the NGO’s CEO said: “The Vishwamitri is Vadodara’s major river and has the highest population density of Mugger crocodiles in Gujarat. Heavy rains often flood the river, forcing the crocodiles out of their natural homes. That is why with the help of the Gujarat Forest Department, we conduct awareness programs and workshops to educate people about avoiding areas where the crocodiles can venture.”
In another incident, the rescue team removed as many as eight Buff-striped keelback snakes from BAPS Swaminarayan School in Atladara, Vadodara. The staff was bewildered on finding a total of eight Buff-striped keelback snakes on the school premises. Worried about the safety of the students and staff, the authorities immediately got in touch with Wildlife SOS on its 24×7 rescue helpline (+91 9825011117), operating in collaboration with the GSPCA.
On reaching the spot, the team found the snakes coiled up inside a water storage tank, and exercising extreme caution, they removed these 2-foot-long snakes. They were released in the wild after being kept under observation.
Buff-striped keelback is a mid-sized snake and can grow up to 80 cm. Its colour varies from olive-brown to grey and it has keeled scales on the dorsal surface of the body. Distinct features of this snake are the two yellow stripes along the length and to the sides of the spine. A non-venomous species, it is found across Asia and Southeast Asia but is rarely seen.
