Forest officials rescue 2 large reptiles from Bhitarkanika National Park

Kendrapada: Forest officials at Bhitarkanika National Park rescued a 9-ft-long Burmese python and a 5-ft monocled cobra in two separate incidents on Friday. The python was found entangled in a discarded fishing net at Righagada village, while the cobra was removed from a villager’s house on the park premises.Locals spotted the massive python trapped in the fishing net in one Nemuna Behera’s orchard and quickly alerted forest officials. The rescue team carefully cut away the net using scissors, ensuring the python remained unharmed.“It is not unusual to have such a python in the villages near the forest as the forest is home to hundreds of pythons,” said Varadaraj Gaonkar, DFO of Bhitarkanika National Park. Many locals posed beside the captured python before it was carried away by forest officials to be released into the forest.In another incident, a cobra was rescued from the house of Sankar Behera of Righagada village by forest personnel on Friday and was released into the nearby mangrove forest.“We are trying to raise awareness among villagers not to harm snakes and other reptiles if they happen to make an appearance in your neighbourhood. All creatures big and small are part of our ecosystem and critical to the environment,” said the forest officer.

“Discarded fishing nets create significant problems for wildlife on the land and water by entangling and killing animals. It also leads to starvation, suffocation, and injury through exhaustion, laceration, and infection to animals. These nets also damage critical habitats of animals. The forest department should take action against those who litter discarded fishing nets,” said Hemant Kumar Rout, secretary of Gahirmatha Marine Turtles and Mangrove Conservation Society.