NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s residence on Thursday had a reptile visitor, a five-foot-long checkered keelback, commonly known as Asiatic water snake.
Security personnel sighted the non-venomous snake near the guard room and informed Wildlife SOS, an NGO working for wildlife protection and conservation.
A two-member team from the NGO rescued the distressed snake that had taken shelter between wooden panels.
“On Thursday morning, security personnel were shocked to stumble upon a checkered keelback snake on the premises of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s bungalow in New Delhi. On spotting the reptile near the guard room, they immediately alerted Wildlife SOS on its 24×7 helpline number 9871963535.
“Geared with rescue equipment, a two-member rescue team rushed to the snake’s aid. Meanwhile, the snake had made its way inside a gap between the wooden panels around the guard room,” Wildlife SOS said.
Checkered keelback is found predominantly in water bodies such as lakes, rivers and ponds, drains, agricultural lands, wells etc. The species is protected under Schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
“We are grateful to the security personnel working in the Union Home Minister’s residence for alerting Wildlife SOS to this emergency. This shows a high level of compassion on their part and sets an example for others to follow. Often the plight of urban wildlife is dismissed because people consider them to be a nuisance and they are often met with hostility,” Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO, Wildlife SOS said.
Over 70 snakes were rescued from different parts of Delhi during the monsoon season. (PTI)
