Agra – In two successful rescue operations, experts of the Wildlife SOS saved a monitor lizard which had its head stuck inside a tin can in Agra, besides rescuing a cobra in Mathura on the day of Holi.
The monitor lizard was found in a precarious situation at Agra’s Chandra Nagar area. On spotting the reptile’s head stuck inside a rusted tin can, the residents immediately contacted the Wildlife SOS.
The Wildlife SOS team reached the location and safely rescued the animal. The monitor lizard has not sustained any injuries but it is currently being kept under observation and will soon be released once declared fit by the NGO’s veterinarians.
In another incident, a nearly six-foot-long Indian cobra was spotted near the Police Lines in Mathura on the day of Holi. In order to avoid any mishap, the locals immediately contacted the NGO’s rescue helpline number and the team reached the location to safely extricate the snake.
After being kept under observation, the cobra was safely released back into its natural habitat.
Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO, Wildlife SOS, said, “This is not the first time that we had to perform multiple rescues in a single week. In fact, we have rescued monitor lizards in the past from situations where they were found stuck inside jars. This usually happens when they try to look for food in these containers and it can get really distressing for the lizards. Our team is well-equipped and trained to handle such rescue operations.”
Baiju Raj M.V., Director, Conservation Projects, Wildlife SOS, said, “We frequently carry out snake rescues in Agra and Mathura, the primary reasons being rapid urbanisation, increase in construction work, shrinking habitats and loss of natural prey base. These factors force the snakes to explore human-dominated landscapes in search of prey.”
–IANS