Srinagar, Sep 30: In a completely unexpected turn of events, a wedding function in the Khonmoh area of Srinagar played host to a unique guest. n. A venomous Levantine viper was sighted at the venue, creating panic amongst the crowd. The 3-foot-long snake was later rescued by conservation NGO Wildlife SOS.
The venomous Levantine viper was spotted by a local family at their wedding function in the Khonmoh area near Srinagar. Concerned for the safety of the guests, the host family immediately alerted Wildlife SOS on its 24×7 emergency rescue helpline (+91 70066 92300, +91 94197 78280) for assistance.
Located further from the main function area, the snake was seen coiled amidst a pile of wooden logs. As the rescue happened at night, the rescuers from the Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit had to be careful due to the venomous nature of the snake. Exercising extreme caution, the rescuers extricated the snake and safely transferred it to a transport carrier.
The NGO rescued another Levantine viper who was spotted sitting on a tin roof of a storehouse inside the cantonment area. The Wildlife SOS team concluded the flurry of rescues with a 5-foot-long Himalayan Trinket snake which was found behind the refrigerator of a house in the Nishat area. All three snakes were found to be healthy and released back into their natural habitat.
The reason behind so many rescues is the awareness work Wildlife SOS has done to bridge the communication between the public and the relevant authorities.
“Even if people knew about the presence of snakes in the Kashmir valley, they were unaware about whom to approach in such a scenario. We have been able to build trust and tell people that our team can be contacted during such distress situations. As a result, the number of rescue calls has also increased. We have been receiving calls not only from Kashmir but from Jammu as well,” revealed Aaliya Mir, Education Officer and Programme Head- Jammu & Kashmir, Wildlife SOS.
KartickSatyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO, Wildlife SOS said, “There is a misplaced fear about snakes but our continuous work to create and spread awareness about these misunderstood animals has helped change the negative perspective people have about these reptiles. The frequency of the rescue calls serves as a perfect example of this change.”
