Baby snake sightings have shot up in Bengaluru since the rains began.
Mathikere resident Aditi S found two baby snakes in her garden recently. She called up a snake rescuer immediately. “He told me they were baby cobras, and they were venomous. I was petrified,” she says.
The snake hatching season begins in June and can last up to August. “We see a lot of baby cobra hatchlings in June. Many fail to identify baby cobras and don’t know that these are venomous. This often leads to deadly accidents,” says Vallish K Kaushik, founder and trustee of Watchers India Trust, a group of volunteers who carry out snake rescue operations across the country.
Apart from cobras, both baby and adult, rescuers are coming across the rat snake and Russell’s viper. “Due to the recent waterlogging in the city, water snake sightings have increased too,” says Mani, a Mylasandra-based snake rescuer. He has been getting calls from apartments in HSR Layout, Electronic City and Whitefield. “Snakes don’t usually lay eggs inside homes. They prefer empty plots and drains. But baby snakes wander into homes looking for food,” he says.
Areas such as Vidyaranyapura and Banaswadi have also reported snake sightings.
Safety tips
Don’t panic if you spot a snake, wildlife rescuers say.
“Remain still. Keep your eyes on the snake,” says Shuayb Ahmed, a snake rescuer. “Don’t do anything impulsive like vacating the premises. Sensing any sudden movement, the snake will go and hide,” he explains.
In case of a snake bite, don’t try home remedies or hacks like “sucking the venom out”, he urges. “Instead, hold your hand still like how a broken hand lays still in a cast, and rush to the hospital. Even if the snake is venomous, you still have a chance of survival as it takes time for the venom to reach the bloodstream,” he says.
Navaz Shariff, general manager and chief veterinarian at PfA Wildlife Hospital, Sunkalpalya, warns citizens against taking matters into their own hands. “Always call a rescuer. People end up with venomous bites when they try to cause harm to the snake,” he says.
He insists on calling rescuers only if you spot a snake in your home, in your car or in any enclosed spaces, or if the snake is injured. But let the snakes be if you find them in empty plots and drains. They play an important role in ecology, he says.
Maintain hygiene
Uncovered food lying in the open is the biggest reason snakes enter homes. So ensure they are properly stored, rescuers emphasise. “Leftovers tend to attract spiders and rodents, which attract snakes,” Shuayb explains.
Don’t leave your footwear and helmets outdoors at night. Vallish explains, “When the weather gets cold and damp, snakes, especially baby snakes, look for cosy places to hide. They also hide inside vehicles.” He advises a thorough check of one’s vehicle before heading out.
BBMP on duty
Currently, BBMP has seven snake rescuers and two ambulances on duty. “We’ve been getting 10-15 calls per day. We rescue the snakes and rehabilitate them in the forest,” a BBMP official told Metrolife.
In case of a snake sighting, call
BBMP Control Room: 1533
PfA Wildlife Hospital:
99000 25370
Watchers India Trust: 96111 77757
Shuayb Ahmed: 99002 06859 Mani: 89515 47464