Continuing second half of 2023 on this page. For the first half, click here. For 2022, click here.
While I have been a part of multiple rescues, these are only the ones I have either managed on my own or been an active assist.
Workers spotted a “large” snake and called after dark. Turned out to be a 3 feet long Cobra. Nicely hiding under a wood slab until I got there. What I like about these rescues are that, the guys watched from a distance and did not get over enthusiastic to get closer and take pictures. Which usually results in chasing away the snakes. Bagged and released without too much hassle.
Little longer than a foot, this Keelback was trying to escape into a duct before I could grab it. These things need to be grabbed with hands and not hook/ tong. Thankfully, this one didn’t bite like I thought it would.
Another tiny Cobra was spotted near a clubhouse. Thankfully, it was hiding under a crevice until I got there. Talking to people gathered around and getting advice sometimes are harder than dealing with venomous snakes actually.
On a day I was busy with a badminton tournament, I had decided I won’t step out for any rescue. The snake had a different plan – “You can’t come to me, I will come to you”. While about to have lunch at Mosaic, this tiny Cobra was at the doorstep. It had moved into the nearby shrubs. Combed it out to safety.
At the construction site, when folks were moving some sheets, spotted this large Viper underneath. Very impressed that they stopped doing what they were and called me. My initial hunch was that it must’ve got hurt. It had only coiled up and didn’t come under the sheets. It was a heavy, almost 5 footer who needed some coaxing to get into the bag. Let Steve release it near the lake.
This is not a rescue that I am happy about. Security guard and an assistant managed to put this in a plastic bottle much against what they were told. People think watching videos online makes them learn this skill. It’s one of the stupidest thing to do. Have spoken to them about not repeating this sort of ill-informed bravado. I checked for any possible injuries and released it later in the evening.
While we don’t usually rescue rat snakes, once in a while, we end up in a situation where the resident is not comfortable having one anywhere near them. This 4-footer was hiding between a couple of stone slabs. Had to carefully move it out to grab it. Just as I was releasing it outside, this one gave me a really bad bite. :/
This tiny one was found inside a home, in their kitchen. A whole bunch of kids were allowed to touch and get familiarised with this species.
An early morning call from the construction site usually means a viper. But, I was pleasantly surprised with this sub-adult Keelback. Thankfully, this one did not bite and was fairly calm.
Looks like a lot of Keelbacks around. I had to play some hide and seek in the rain to catch this tiny one. This one started biting as I was about to release and its teeth got stuck in my skin. :/
Just as I was busy with an event at Koota, got a call from Petrichor yet again. This time, it was a tiny Cobra trying to eat (and probably stuck) an old fossil of a lizard. The rescue thankfully helped it spit it out.
Another rescue that went wrong. By the time I got to the gate, the security guard had already put this tiny Cobra into a plastic bottle. Not sure how to let these guys know how dangerous this is. Checked the snake for any external injuries and released it.
Yet another tiny Cobra was found in Mosaic. This one was bothered a bit by a resident dog and hence extremely agitated when I got there. Managed to move it to safety without any incident.
The tiniest snake ever caught by me. This one was not bigger than a thread. Found coiled up near the tracks in the rain. Just climbed on to my palm without any hassle.
Tiny Cobras galore. Another one from the school opposite Adda. Due to rains, looks like a lot of these are displaced and are being found in and around. Another quick and easy rescue in the middle of the day.
As if tiny Cobras were not enough, found a tiny Viper at a construction site. This one had a loud hiss asking us to back off. Small snakes with attitude are always fun to watch.
Yet another tiny Keelback. This one was saved just in time from cats who were ultra-curious. One of the cutest-looking species really.
5th baby cobra this week. Yesterday we had a snake awareness session in the community and I mentioned Cobras are my fav species. I was hoping that on World Snake Day, I’d get to catch one of these fellas. This one was infront of someone’s home and had been spotted for almost a week. Took a bit of an effort to land it in the bottle.
About 1.5 feet long Keelback was inside a pipe on a construction wall. No clue how it got there as these aren’t great wall climbers. Good part was that it was easy to make it fall into a bag from that height.
After a really long day at a friend’s farm (6 kms kayaking was painful), even before I got home, got a call saying there is a baby Viper near a park. This one was frisky but I was really glad that some of the residents kept a close watch till I got there.
In less than 12 hours, a very similar viper from around the same area means these two could be siblings. This was quieter and easy to bottle.
A small Cobra was spotted by the security near the stone walls. Thankfully, it didn’t escape. Waiting for a short while to move it away from that wall and bottled it. With this, I have rescued 52 snakes between May, June and July this year.
This could’ve been very tricky. It had to be taken out of this algae-filled pond. Since it was tiny, it was very easy for it to get lost under the green patch. Must’ve been inside for a while. It seemed fairly cold. Released it only after an hour, so that it could regain its normal temperature.
This tiny rat snake for a second looked like a keelback on the ground. Didn’t really need to be rescued, but we just moved it from someone’s backyard.
This one looked like a sausage after a heavy meal. Found near the road, moved it away to safety.
This tiny one surprised the employees of a studio by saying hi from behind some cup boards. Was a bit tricky as it had many places to hide. Had to move things around to finally rescue. Looked like it was also attacked by a cat on its head.
A super tiny Wolf snake was found under a brick by the residents. Had to move it due some cats being around.
A every similar rescue from a house in Footprints which bit the hell out of me last time. No such gory action with this one. This one had a very striking yellowish morph.
“Saab, yeh tho python hai” is what the security guy said. 🙂 He had promptly put a flower pot on top of this tiny Viper. Smart move, but needs to be careful with these.
I haven’t handled a bigger trinket with just bare hands. These have a very mean looking striking pose. So, they key is to distract them with one hand and pick it up by its tail with the other. Found by a few residents near the entrance, just had to move it a few meters away.
On a day when I was down with fever, had to step out for 3 rescues. First one was this semi-adult, Keelback. Was hiding between some bricks. Moved it to safety.
While trying to dig out a tiny cobra from Resonance (in vain), got another call. Rushed to find this mean looking about 5.5 footer. Helped it move from one house, only to be going and hiding in another under their shoe-rack. Helped it move from there too into a much safer place.
Had to get out early in the morning for a rescue in the basement. I was still recovering from a bad viral. So, getting this into the bottle seemed like a task.
At this size, I sometimes get confused this one with a Trinket. Hiding at the construction site, a whole bunch of went into to check. Some kids got to handle it as well.
The owners of a house which is empty as new owners have taken it over, were in for s tiny surprise when they went in to check the place. This jumpy one was inside one of the bathrooms. Not sure how it got in. May be during the shifting of the previous tenants.
A baby Rat snake was in the basement of the apartment complex. Possibly fell from a tree. Was fairly calm even when I picked it up. Released it near by.
I have caught snakes from unusual spots. This one, well…from inside a first aid box. While combing the cupboard where it was last seen by the security staff, it may have managed to climb into this box through the small gap under the cover. I had almost given up not finding it, until I saw something move inside the box through the transparent cover. Released it with some kids as spectators.
With heavy rains the previous evening, I was sure of some rescue calls today. Started the day with young Viper casually moving near the main road. Moved it away from the road.
Rescued this adult from near a club house. Nothing else. That’s it.
Just when we finished releasing the Keelback, got a call from a basement. This was really tiny and frisky.
When Chayant went to look for a possible big rat snake, he some one tiny tail popping out of a garden light. Good to see so many small ones around. Small ones can be moved slightly away as well as they haven’t yet made their territory.
Whenever I’ve had someone stay over and is keen to watch a rescue, it’s usually been disappointing. But, today Keertu got to see a Cobra rescue. We were playing badminton when this rescue request came in. It was one of the easiest ones as the snake didn’t have too many exit plans.
After heavy rains last evening, I was prepared for multiple rescue calls today. Funnily, the only one we got was for this tiny Keelback in the garden area. Moved it to the pond.
This one was hiding under a sink at a clinic here. This is probably the biggest Wolf snake I’ve caught so far. Must’ve been little over 2 feet.
Here’s another first. A rescue from inside a classroom. This 5 footer was hiding under a cupboard inside a classroom. Thankfully all the kids and teacher got out and shut the room. I have said this before and I say it again, I hate rescuing these with just bare hands. Unfortunately, rat snakes are so quick that it is the only way to do it really. This one gave a very very bad bite on my hand while I was walking with it to release it nearby.
Thanks to the previous rescue (and the bites), I didn’t take a chance with this yet another large rat snake. Used the tongs to move it to safety from a construction site. Wedged between these construction blocks, it was rather easy to carefully grab it unlike other situations where they are usually running away swiftly from you.
A small Kukri was spotted by the security near a gate. Moved it to safety without too much interference.
A small yet feisty Wolf snake was in a backyard early morning. The house-help saw it and informed the residents. Moved it to one of its favourite spots, the stone walls outside the community.
And, this is a milestone. A sub-adult Keelback was hiding in a resident’s backyard in between a wall and a floor stone. Managed to move it safely into the bottle without having to catch it with hands.
