Heavy rains in Mumbai on the night of August 20 brought unexpected challenges for residents of Juhu and Powai. In an unusual scenario, a snake was spotted on the streets of Juhu Tara Road. As soon as the residents noticed the reptile, they contacted wildlife rescuer and photographer Karan Solanki from NGO Aasha: The Hope for Animals Welfare Trust. Acting swiftly, Karan responded to the call and helped prevent panic among locals.
Karan, accompanied by his father, Navin Solanki, rushed to the spot despite the heavy downpour on Wednesday. On arrival, they discovered a green vine snake hiding inside a discarded plastic bag.
The father-son duo safely rescued the snake and took a few moments to educate residents about its ecological significance, stressing that such reptiles play a vital role in maintaining balance in urban biodiversity and that not every snake is venomous.
Karan Solanki from NGO Aasha, while narrating the incident, said, “While heading back home, we received another rescue call from L&T Powai about a juvenile Indian Rock Python spotted at a construction site. Without delay, we rushed to the location and safely rescued the python. Both snakes were released back into the wild after informing the respective Forest Department officials.”
10-foot Indian rock python rescued from Mulund
Earlier on Wednesday, a 10-foot-long Indian Rock Python that strayed into a residential society in Mulund was also safely rescued and rehabilitated by the Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW) on Tuesday.
RAWW president Pawan Sharma, while addressing the rescue, said that “the python had climbed a tree as a large crowd gathered to watch, adding to the reptile’s stress.”
He also added, “The snake was safely rescued and medically evaluated by Dr Priti Sathe, our associate veterinarian, and was declared fit. It had likely been displaced due to heavy rains and was exhausted while searching for a route back to its habitat. Since the rescue site was less than a kilometre from the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) periphery, we decided to intervene.”
Following the rescue, the python was released into its natural habitat in coordination with the Mumbai Range of the Thane (Territorial) Forest Department.
