A male Indian rock python, categorised as ‘near threatened’ species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, was released into the Chintalapudi forests in West Godavari district by the forest officials here on Tuesday.
Kaikaluru Forest Ranger A. Sunil Kumar and his team on Saturday recovered the python from the local people who reportedly spotted it near the railway track at Kaikaluru in Krishna district. The lower jaw of the python, measuring eight feet and weighing 23 kg, was completely damaged due to severe injury.
Micro-surgery performed“Many of its teeth were damaged. We reconstructed the damaged parts of the python’s lower jaw during a two-hour micro surgery performed on Saturday,” veterinarian S. Pratap told The Hindu .
Dr. Pratap accompanied by Animal Husbandry Department Assistant Director M. Srinivasa Rao and veterinarian A. Nagendra monitored the python’s health condition for 48 hours after the surgery. “The python responded to the treatment and recovered within 48 hours,” said the team of veterinary doctors.
The forest authorities allowed the public to have a glimpse of python to create awareness about conservation of the snakes such as the Indian rock python, which can be sighted in marshes, swamps and water bodies.
The forest officials, on advice of the Visakhapatnam Zoo authorities, released it into the forest.
