Daijiworld Media Network- Mumbai

Mumbai, Jun 25: In a heartwarming tale of wildlife rescue and conservation, all 22 eggs of an Indian Rock Python rescued from a stormwater drain in Mumbai have successfully hatched under careful supervision. The hatchlings were released into their natural habitat between Monday and Tuesday, marking the end of a remarkable 37-day incubation period.

The mother python, a nine-foot-long reptile, was discovered by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) workers on May 18 during pre-monsoon desilting work near a culvert along the Eastern Express Highway in Vikhroli (East), specifically near Kannamwar Nagar.

The workers immediately contacted the Maharashtra Forest Department after realising that the python was guarding a clutch of 22 eggs. A quick-response team, along with volunteers from the Resqink Association of Wildlife Welfare (RAWW), arrived at the site and carefully rescued the snake and its eggs.

"We found that it was a female python and she had laid eggs recently. After a health check, she was released back into the wild," said Pawan Sharma, honorary wildlife warden and president of RAWW.

Since then, the eggs were incubated under expert care by zoologists and wildlife rescuers. In a rare success story, all 22 hatchlings emerged within a 24-hour window this week. Each was assessed and safely returned to its natural environment in line with wildlife protocols.

Sharma pointed out that such incidents increase during the monsoon season, particularly in flood-prone areas like Mumbai. "Every year, we get calls about reptiles being displaced due to heavy rains and waterlogging. They often get washed away from their original habitats and land up in urban settings,” he explained.

The Indian Rock Python (Python molurus) is a protected species under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and is non-venomous. Their rescue and successful rehabilitation mark a significant achievement for urban wildlife protection in one of India’s most densely populated cities.