Inhabitants of a residential locality in Srinagar which is located in the Zabarwan Forest Range were in for a surprise when they found a four-foot-long Levantine Viper in a garden. Spotting the snake in their backyard initially created panic but then on realising the gravity of the situation, the people contacted Wildlife SOS Rapid Response team.

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The rescue team reached the site with required protective gear and equipment and found that the reptile had moved to the bushes. Following an hour-long operation, the snake was rescued and put in a safety box.

The creature was observed for a few hours to check its medical and health conditions and then released in its natural habitat.

The Zabarwan range foothills is well-known as a prime habitat of these snakes. Talking about them, Aaliya Mir, Education Officer and Programme Head – J&K, Wildlife SOS said: “This was the first viper rescue of the season. Levantine vipers are capable of lightning strikes when provoked and will give out a warning hiss before striking. This snake was highly aggressive in particular, so we had to apply extreme caution while extricating the reptile.”

Found in the mountainous regions of Jammu and Kashmir, Levantine viper is known as ‘gunas’ in the local language and it feeds on rodents, lizards and birds. Its venom is hemotoxic which acts on the cardiovascular system, including the heart and blood, causing extreme pain, inflammation and tissue damage at the bite site.

Wildlife SOS CEO, Kartick Satyanarayan observed: “In Jammu & Kashmir, most locals are aware of the Levantine viper and the fact that it is highly venomous. It is a matter of jubilance that the residents did not take matters into their own hands and let trained experts from Wildlife SOS handle the situation, thus protecting the lives of both the snake and the humans sharing the landscape.”

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