Hyderabad: Friends of Snakes Society (FOSS) rescued a total of 10,282 snakes in Telangana last year, out of which 95% were rescued in Hyderabad, the General Secretary of FOSS Avinash Viswanathan said.
The maximum number of rescue calls were received from LB Nagar, Vanasthalipuram, Attapur, Gachibowli, and Nanakramguda, and on the outskirts of Hyderabad. “Most of the snakes rescued in Hyderabad were venomous spectacled cobras, which were about 46% or 4000,” Avinash said.
“However, these cobras are well habituated to live around humans as they feed on frogs, birds, lizards, etc,” he added.
3 snakes rescued on Feb 4
Friends Of Snakes Society (FOSS) on Sunday, February 4, safely rescued three large healthy pythons in Defence Colony, Langar Houz, Hyderabad after residents promptly reported the snakes’ sightings.
Responding to the tip effectively, FOSS members immediately reached the location and successfully rescued three pythons, each measuring at least 7 feet.
According to the reports, the increased snake activity during mating season often leads them to cover substantial distances in search of mates, potentially bringing them into proximity to human habitation.
Ensuring the safety of both the community and the reptiles, FOSS transferred the three pythons to the Snake Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, Hyderabad for temporary housing.
“These snakes will later be relocated to forest areas in collaboration with the forest department,” an official press release stated.
Friends conserving snakes
Friends of Snakes Society (FOSS) is a non-profit organization determined to conserve snakes and wildlife since 1995. Interestingly, the organization has a very passionate volunteer base, and it rehabilitates over 10,000 snakes every year in Telangana.
Additionally, FOSS also conducts hundreds of snake awareness workshops annually to reduce snake deaths and mitigate snake bites.
The organization receives 200–300 distress calls from the public every day regarding snake incursions in their places. Following this, the expert rescuers safely and ethically rescue these reptiles.
Notably, FOSS successfully rescued 10,282 snakes from Telangana last year, which highlights the remarkable achievement of the organization’s unwavering commitment to snake conservation.
A total of 25 different snake species were rescued in 2023. Of which, 46% were Spectacled Cobras, 27% were Rat Snakes, 10% were Checkered Keelbacks, 4% were Russell’s Vipers, and 4% were Bronzeback Tree Snakes. The remaining 9% consisted of twenty other species.
All the rescued snakes are relocated to suitable forest areas with the help of the Telangana Forest Department.
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