Rare cat snake found coiled on tree in Manish Nagar, rescued safely
A rare Forsten's cat snake spotted on a tree in a Manish Nagar home was safely rescued by a trained snake rescuer in Nagpur
A rare snake seen coiled on a tree in the compound of a house in Nagpur's Manish Nagar area caused a stir among nearby residents. It later turned out to be a Forsten's cat snake, a species not commonly seen in the area.
The snake was spotted around 4 pm at the house of Sharad Damle near Padmavati Nagar T-point. People near the house saw a large, brown-coloured snake coiled on a branch of a tree. Its appearance was different from snakes usually seen there, so people could not tell what species it was.
Since the species was not clear, people took precautions instead of disturbing the snake and decided to call a trained snake rescuer.
Snake rescuer Ashish Rahekwar, associated with the Help For Animal Welfare Association, was then informed. He reached the spot and carefully examined the snake before beginning the rescue.
Since the species could not initially be confirmed, Rahekwar photographed the snake and sent the picture to wildlife expert Swapnil Bodhane for identification. After seeing the photo, Bodhane said it was a Forsten's cat snake.
Once the species was identified, Rahekwar carefully began the rescue operation. Special care was taken to ensure the snake was not injured in any way, and people standing nearby maintained a safe distance. Within a short time, the snake was safely brought down from the tree and the rescue was successfully completed.
The presence of this rare snake in a densely populated area like Manish Nagar once again shows that wildlife is still present in and around Nagpur city and can turn up at any time.
People associated with wildlife rescue advise that if a snake is spotted in residential areas, people should not panic and should never try to catch or kill it themselves. Instead, they should maintain a safe distance and immediately call a trained snake rescuer or wildlife rescue team.
The safe rescue of the Forsten's cat snake came as a relief to local residents, while the incident also drew considerable interest among wildlife enthusiasts.
