With several parts of Hyderabad and its peripheries inundated, snakes too were forced to crawl out of burrows filled with water. Between October 15 and 17, volunteers of Friends of Snakes Society rescued over 100 snakes. They found the reptiles in car bonnets, staircases and even inside cupboards.
For people returning to their homes where water has receded, the volunteers advise that they must be cautious while clearing debris and vegetation that washed up at their doorstep.
General secretary of the society, Avinash Visvanathan suggests one must poke vegetation or debris with a stick before lifting it up. Volunteer Aditya Srinath says, “During the rescue, people ask if snakes take revenge. That is a misconception. All they need is a warm place to hide.”
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Most of the reptiles were rescued from flooded localities in Vanasthalipuram, L.B. Nagar, Balapur, Meerpet, Hayathnagar, Attapur, Tolichowki, Miyapur Ameenpur and Beeramguda. “The most common types rescued were Spectacled Cobra, Rat Snake and Checkered Keelback. Of the three, the Spectacled Cobras are venomous. Their sighting is on the rise,” says Mr Avinash.
He advises people not to panic when they spot a reptile as snakes are cold-blooded and need external source of heat to increase their activity,including biting. “The ambient temperature falls during the rains, thereby reducing their activity and chances of snake bites. However, it is better if people maintain distance from the reptiles,” he says
In case of a snake bite, one can approach any government hospital. Director of Medical Education K. Ramesh Reddy said anti-venoms are stocked in all government hospitals, including Primary Health Centres. The society attends to calls of snake sightings on their helpline number 83742-33366.
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