39 Baby Russell's vipers and their mother rescued from Maharashtra home; the dramatic operation goes viral

An extraordinary wildlife rescue has received wide coverage in Amravati in Maharashtra, India, after a group of rescuers safely recovered 39 Russell's viper hatchlings together with the extremely venomous mother from a residential place.

India Today shared the video on its Instagram handle, showing the rescue team handling one of the medically most significant venomous snakes of India while keeping everyone involved safe. Reports reveal that the mother viper was in a protective stance all the time as she protected her newborn babies until every last one of the snakes was rescued and then released into a proper environment.

A common day transforms into a big snake rescue

While the residents of a house in Amravati were surprised after seeing a Russell's viper and some tiny snakes inside the property, they immediately decided to call snake rescuers instead of removing the reptiles by themselves.

Upon arrival, the rescuers noticed that it was not one but lots of newly hatched vipers around their mother.

The protective mother snakes defended their offspring

As per the reports, the mother Russell's viper was coiled in a defensive stance when the rescuers started approaching it. Instead of moving away, the snake instinctively remained next to its offspring since this behaviour is common among many wild animals right after their birth.

Every last hatchling was carefully collected

One by one, the rescue team took out each of the 39 hatchlings from the property.

Collecting newborn venomous snakes requires special skills because of the ability of even tiny snakes to deliver venomous bites. With professional equipment and many years of experience, the rescuers managed to collect all the hatchlings safely without any harm to the animals and the local residents.

A netizen commented:

“Very very dangerous snake. If it bites you, you can start saying goodbye to your family.”

Here’s the video:

Knowing more about the Russell's viper

Russell's viper is one of the most venomous snakes in India, which can be found all over the country.

It has an important ecological value since the Russell's viper helps control rodent populations, especially in agricultural environments. Though it has very poisonous venom, it avoids human contact and attacks a person only when it feels being threatened or accidentally disturbed. Experts recommend keeping a safe distance from such wild animals and contacting professional rescuers upon sighting venomous snakes nearby.

The snake rescue finished successfully for everyone

Once all the snakes were securely handled, the rescuers took the snakes away from the residential property. In accordance with the wildlife rescue protocol, the reptiles were eventually released back into the wild so that they would lead their life away from human settlements safely.

The rescue video goes viral on Instagram

The video about this wildlife rescue attracted much attention on Instagram, where people have highly appreciated the professionalism and composure of the rescuers. Many people were amazed by the sight of so many hatchlings next to their protective mother, while others thanked the team for relocation of the snakes instead of killing them. It was a great example of how wild animals can sometimes enter residential places, especially during monsoons.