Mumbai: A three-foot-long, one-kg male Red Sand Boa was rescued from near Tilak Nagar station around 5 p.m. on Sunday by a team from the Plant & Animal Welfare Society (PAWS). The snake was released into the wild on Monday.
On Sunday evening, Sea Cadet Corps Cadet Shruti Navin Chavan, 15, a resident of Tilak Nagar, Chembur, was on her way home after completing her training. She spotted the snake in the middle of the road, and called the PAWS helpline.
A PAWS team was near the spot and reached there immediately.
“The snake was near the Tilak Nagar station bridge. Although there isn’t a lot of traffic on the stretch, there were chances that the snake might be injured if anyone tried to hit it,” said Sunish Subramanian Kunju, secretary, PAWS.
“The Boa is healthy. We released it into the wild after informing the forest officer,” said Nisha Kunju from PAWS. By law, the team is not permitted to reveal where the snake was released.
The non-venomous Red Sand Boa, known as the two-headed snake, is a protected species under Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. It is endangered because of superstitious beliefs, such as it brings good luck and cures AIDS, attributed to its double-headed appearance (its tail looks like a head).
The rise in temperature causes snakes to come out into the open. PAWS has been receiving two to three calls per week only to rescue snakes. In the past two months, the Society has rescued five pythons, including a seven-foot-long one rescued from Airoli last month. PAWS can be reached on 9833480388.
