Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (GHSPCA) and People for Animal (PFA) Team rescued 14 snakes on Wednesday on the occasion of Nagpanchami. The team rescued around 100 to 150 snakes in the last few years and last year they rescued 14 snakes.
Around 15 volunteers from GHSPCA rescued 14 snakes from Huppududa, Golipura, Shalibanda, Hussain Allam and Noor Khan Bazaar in Old City.
According to the rescue team, the condition of the snakes was very bad; they were unhealthy and sick. The GHSPCA team has requested the people not to offer milk to the snakes as it is purely non-vegetarian.
Soudharm Bhandari from GHSPCA said, “I and D. Joshi from PFA, along with BPMS and 15 volunteers, rescued 14 snakes. Some of them were in critical condition. We found that all the snakes have been defanged. All snakes will take a minimum of one to two months to recover.
“We have started the snake mass rescue operation on August 14 and will be continuing it till August 16 evening. Earlier, we used to rescue the snakes very easily, but these days people are getting the snakes in school bags, rice bags and plastic boxes,” Bhandari said.
He said, “After rescuing snakes during Nagpan-chami in the last few years, we have observed that awareness among people has increased how hundreds of snake die a slow painful death during the festival. When people offer milk to the snakes, it appears to drink very little due to extreme thirst and hunger.”
“In natural conditions, snakes do not drink milk; Snakes can’t digest it properly and by the time festival is over, they become extremely weak and die. That is why it is important to create more awareness among the people regarding the ill effects of offering milk to the snakes during the festival,” the GHSPCA official said.
