Agra, Jun 7 (IANS): A five-foot long Indian rat snake and a monitor lizard were found on the premises of the Juvenile Justice Board located in the Sirauli area of Agra.

Both the reptiles were safely rescued by the Wildlife SOS team and later released back into their natural habitat.

The rising mercury level continues to displace snakes and other wildlife across Uttar Pradesh, forcing them to venture out of their habitat in search of cooler places. In one such incident, a five-foot long rat snake and a monitor lizard made their way into the Juvenile Justice Board premises in Sirauli on Tuesday morning.

While the Rat snake took refuge under a water dispenser, the monitor lizard was reportedly seen in a pile of bricks kept outside the toilet which is undergoing rennovation.

Taking quick action, the JJB authorities contacted the Wildlife SOS following which a two-member team arrived at the location. After an hour-long rescue operation, the team carefully transferred both the reptiles in safe transport carriers.

The Rapid Response Unit of Wildlife SOS also responded to an emergency call about a large snake in Raja Balwant Singh College in Bichhpuri, Agra. A six-foot-long rat snake was found under an air-cooler inside the agriculture department of the college which was safely rescued.

All the reptiles were kept under medical observation for a few hours and later released back into their natural habitat.

Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS, said, "It is reassuring to see people's compassion towards these highly misunderstood animals and their sensitised approach towards the reptile population of the city. Our rescue team is trained to deal with any given situation in the interest of public safety and the protection of urban wildlife."

Baiju Raj M.V., Director, Conservation Projects, Wildlife SOS, said, "Earlier also our team had rescued a monitor lizard from the Juvenile Justice Board. Reptiles are ectothermic animals and cannot regulate their internal body temperature. Hence, on excessively hot days, they come out of their pits in search of cooler, shaded places to take shelter."