Bengaluru: With the temperatures rising in the city, a number of snakes are coming out of their holes in Cubbon Park, alarming visitors. “I’ve seen a couple of them when I take my dog there. Sometimes they seem to go their own way, but sometimes feel threatened. One can never tell and it is quite scary,” said Ms Smrithi Mannar, a resident of Vasanth Nagar.
“We saw a snake on Monday morning. We have also noticed snake holes,” commented Ms Aparna Gulvady, a regular at Cubbon Park, on her social media post. “Please don't allow your children and pets to run amid the grass or dry leaves. I’d also advise to keep pets leashed at all times and not to ignore your pets pulling you away as it’s because they can sense snakes. Don't ignore barks and the sound of birds chirping angrily and squirrels being agitated. These are all warning signs,” she said.
Mr M.S. Balasubramania, a snake enthusiast and wildlife conservationist from Mysuru, attributes the sightings to early summer and scarcity of rainfall. “The summer season has started sooner than expected. It shouldn’t happen until the end of March. There is barely any rainfall in the city and the reptiles don’t have wetlands,” he said. “Though these reptiles do not harm unless threatened, it is advisable to be alert in the evenings, especially in areas like these, large parks that children play in.”
Most of the snakes in the park are rat snakes and are quite harmless, said Mr Mahantesh Murgod, Deputy Director of Horticulture. “It is happens every year. It is only natural that the heat brings these reptiles out. Sometimes, snakes end up in my office too and unless you threaten them they do no harm. Most of these snakes are non-poisonous rat snakes, while some could be fairly poisonous. The visitors should exercise caution at this time of the year.”
The authorities are doing their routine safety procedures, he said. “We’ve already started clearing the dry bamboo leaves from the parks so that the snakes are not stepped upon. We have also asked the BBMP to pitch in. We are using sprinklers everyday to wet the ground so that the holes remain cool. No incidents of snake bites have been reported.”
