Juvenile cobra spotted near Rashtrapathi Bhavan gate

    New Delhi, Sept 29 (PTI) A juvenile cobra was spotted near one of the gates of the Rashtrapathi Bhavan Saturday and was rescued by a team of wildlife body.
    A Rashtrapathi Bhavan staffer had spotted the juvenile cobra in a rain-gutter downpipe and informed the the rapid response team of Wildlife SOS, which rushed to the spot.
    The two-member team of the wildlife body transferred the cobra into a safe transport container. The common cobra (naja naja) is one of the four venomous snake species to be found in the Indian subcontinent.
    They are revered in Indian mythology and culture and are listed under Schedule II of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act 1972.
    Kartick Satyanarayan, the co-founder and CEO, the Wildlife SOS said, "Cobras seldom bite, but will give out a warning sign by displaying their hood."
     "The snake uses its venom primarily to hunt prey like rats, mice and frogs. People get accidentally bitten only when they step on the snake or an untrained person attempts to catch or handle these snakes," he said.
    Soon after, the team rushed to the aid of a 6-foot-long python that was spotted on a tree inside the premises of Surya Apartments, Kalkaji Extension.
    Yesterday, the Wildlife SOS team also rescued a nearly six-foot-long Indian Rock Python from a 30-foot-tree located near the Saket Metro Station on the Mehrauli – Badarpur road.
    The snake is currently under observation and will be released into its natural habitat once deemed fit by the NGO’s veterinarians.
    The reptile was spotted scaling up a tree by people heading towards the Metro station and they immediately alerted the PCR personnel who in turn contacted Wildlife SOS on their 24-hour helpline, the body said in a statement.
    A crowd of over 200 onlookers had gathered around, adding to the congestion of the traffic on the Mehrauli - Badarpur Road.
    Two rescuers from Wildlife SOS along with a team of fire safety officers and police officers arrived on site to carry out the rescue operation.
    After an assessment of the situation, the Wildlife SOS team and a fire truck operator used the aerial ladder to reach the distressed reptile.
    After moving the curious onlookers to a safe distance, the Wildlife SOS team managed to successfully extricate the distressed reptile and move it safely in to a transport container.
    "Indian Rock Pythons though commonly found across India, face extreme threat due to prevalent misunderstanding and ignorance amongst people.
    "They are often confused with the venomous Russell's viper and these reptiles often get killed when they venture into human habitations," Satyanarayan said.
    Following this incident, the team had again rushed to the JNU premises yesterday to rescue a four foot long cobra from the girls' bathroom of the Lohit Hostel. PTI TDS VIT TIR
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