Rare snakes rescued in central & North Delhi

NEW DELHI: Ten rare snakes were rescued in separate raids conducted by police and an NGO - People For Animals - in central and north Delhi.
The raids, which took place in Jama Masjid area on Wednesday and Shahadra on Thursday, led to the recovery of nine two-headed sand boas and a cobra. A 600 ml bottle of snake venom worth Rs 1.5 crore was also recovered, animal rescue officers said.
"We got a tip-off that a UP-registered bus carrying rare snakes will pass by Shahadra on Thursday. At 2pm the bus was stopped and searched. It was packed with passengers most of whom were carrying boxes of sweets. An unclaimed bag full of sweet boxes was found. Five sand boas were found packed inside these boxes. In a Diwali-gift pack a carefully wrapped 600ml bottle of snake venom was found. However, we failed to find the owner of the bag," said Saurabh Gupta, an PFA officer involved with the raid.
On Wednesday, a raid had been conducted in Jama Masjid area where five snakes - including four sand boas and a cobra - were rescued. "The man carrying the snakes, however, managed to flee but he left behind the boxes from which the snakes were rescued," said an officer.
The reptile is listed under schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Capturing or involvement in any kind of trade of these reptiles is punishable under this Act.
Sand boas, often known as two-hooded snakes, do not, in fact, have two hoods. The non-venomous snake's tail, which is bent, looks like a hood.
Folktales abound about the two-headed appearance of these snakes. A myth associated with the snake has it that the creature uses the two heads alternately for 6 months. Some people believe that the bite from these snakes will cause leprosy among humans. Also, the snakes are said to possess mysteries powers to cure ailments in human beings. Many believe that possessing a sand boa brings good luck in business, while others claim that if the snake is kept near a mirror, the glass will crack bringing good news.
New Delhi: Two separate raids by the police and the People For Animals NGO in central and north Delhi resulted in the rescue of 10 rare snakes in the last two days. The raids, that took place in Jama Masjid area on Wednesday and Shahadra on Thursday, led to the recovery of nine two-headed Sand Boas and a cobra. A 600 ml bottle of snake venom was also recovered in Thursday's raid, whose estimated worth is about Rs 1.5 crore, said animal rescue officers.
"We had information that a UP-registered bus carrying rare snakes will pass by Shahadra on Thursday so at around 2pm, the bus was stopped and searched near Shahadra. The bus was packed full and most passengers were carrying sweet boxes. One unclaimed bag was found which was full of sweet boxes and five sand boas were found packed inside these boxes. In a Diwali-gift pack, a 600ml bottle wrapped carefully was found in a well-padded box and the bottle was found to contain snake venom. However, the owner of the bag could not be ascertained," explained Saurabh Gupta, PFA officer involved in the raid.
Earlier, on Wednesday, a raid had been conducted in Jama Masjid area where five snakes - including four sand boas and a cobra - had been rescued. "The man carrying the snakes, however, managed to flee the spot but he left behind the boxes from which the snakes were rescued," said an officer.
The reptile is listed under schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. In India, capturing and involving in any kind of trade of these reptiles is punishable under this act.
Sand boas, often known as two-hooded snakes, do not, in fact, have two hoods. The non-venomous snake's tail, which is bent, looks like a hood.
The two headed appearance of these snakes has given rise to much folk-tales. The snake is mis-believed to use the two heads alternatively for six months. Some people believe that, the bite from this snakes will cause leprosy to humans. Also, the snakes are said to possess mysteries powers to cure various ailments in human. Many people believe that possessing a sand boa brings good luck in business, while others claim that if the snake is kept near a mirror, the mirror will crack and bring good news.