By Brij Khandelwal

Agra, Sep 2 (IANS): Four python rescue operations in 24 hours, has surprised environmentalists in Agra.

"It's amazing! Looks like the Covid-19 pandemic has been a blessing in disguise as far as mother nature is concerned," said Devashish Bhattacharya, reacting to the big catch.

For experts of the Wildlife SOS, it has come like a windfall, though not unexpected during the monsoons. With four back to back python rescues, the NGO has set a new record. All four snakes were kept under observation for few hours and later released back into the wild.

At midnight, the Wildlife SOS Rapid Response unit received a panic call about a six-foot-long python found wandering on the busy Agra-Fatehabad road near Tora village. The team rushed to the location and safely carried out the rescue operation.

In another incident, the NGO received an early morning emergency call about a five-foot-long python in the toilet of a house in Runakta. Following it up quickly, the Wildlife SOS rescue team rushed to the aid of a seven-foot-long python that was caught in a synthetic fishing net in Suphaera village located in Fatehpur Sikri.

It took the team nearly an hour to safely extricate the distressed reptile from the net and relieve it from the unfortunate situation.

The team also rescued a seven-foot-long python from agricultural land in Gadima village in Kirawali, Agra.

Kartick Satyanarayan, CEO of Wildlife SOS, said, "Indian Rock Pythons are very often mistaken to be dangerous because of their size and face extreme threat due to prevalent misunderstandings. Not many people are aware that pythons are non-venomous, and these reptiles often become victims of man-animal conflict when they venture into human surroundings."

Baiju Raj M.V, Director Conservation Projects for Wildlife SOS, said: "Every year, we see a spike in the number of snake sightings during the monsoon season. We request people to keep supporting our cause and immediately report any such situations on our helpline number."

The Indian rock python can length out to as long as 20 feet. They are native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. This species is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and listed under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), which regulates the international trade of wildlife species.