JORHAT, July 17 � Snakes of different varieties including pythons from the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) and several other reserve forests have been found to be taking shelter in human habitations during the current monsoon season.
In the past few months, more than five pythons and six venomous snakes were rescued from several residential campuses located around the KNP, while many other snakes escaped human attacks after they were swept by flash floods from the deep jungles into open areas.
As per the data received from the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC), more than 223 pythons were rescued by officials of the Forest Department from several villages located near reserve forests during the monsoon seasons from 2002 till the current month. Out of them, 124 were rescued near the KNP alone. CWRC officials said that most of the snakes were released in forests, while a few others died during captivity.
According to several villagers in Bokakhat and Kohora areas, several venomous snakes are killed for human safety. �But the killing of pythons is very rare as they are not venomous,� said a local resident of Bokakhat. Though it has been suspected that snake charmers catch snakes during the floods, locals said that they have not allowed any snake charmer to avail of the opportunity in the areas adjacent to the national park.
Security agencies have already detected smuggling of snakes and their skin from Dhubri district to Bangladesh. In order to prevent attacks on pythons and other wild animals during floods, the Wildlife Trust of India and the State Forest Department have launched a massive awareness campaign in the nearby villages of the KNP since July 15.
�This awareness campaign will help us protect reptiles and other wild animals which take shelter in residential campuses during floods,�said Dr Rothin Barman, Deputy Director of the Wildlife Trust of India. He said that snakes or other animals generally do not attack human beings unless disturbed. He urged the people to keep the animals found in residential places under observation without creating any nuisance and inform the officials concerned for their subsequent rescue.
