Dwarka- Cobra and near threatened bird rescued in one day

In an interesting turn of events, a 4 feet long Cobra and a near threatened, Painted Stork were rescued from Dwarka on August 16, 2022. Both the species were found in different sectors and societies and later rescued by Wildlife SOS, an organisation working towards biodiversity conservation. The cobra was rescued from a bathroom of a faculty house of Netaji Subhas University of Technology in Sector 3 while the stork was rescued from Kargil Apartments Sector 18 after getting hurt by a kite's manjha.

As gathered, after being rescued by Wildlife SOS, the snake is currently under observation and will be released back into the wild once deemed fit. Similarly, the bird is currently under medical observation and will be released once declared fit by the Wildlife SOS veterinarians.

Over the weekend, residents of a household in Sector-3, Dwarka were terrified to discover a 4-foot-long Indian Cobra (also known as Spectacled cobra) inside their home. The snake had settled itself on the window sill of the residence’s bathroom. Concerned for their safety, they immediately alerted Wildlife SOS on its 24x7 emergency rescue helpline (+91 9871963535), which works round-the-clock to rescue animals in distress.

Upon reaching the location with the necessary rescue gear, the Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit took nearly 15 minutes to safely extricate the cobra, making sure it did not face any stress. The snake is believed to have entered the house from the rear entrance of the residence. It is currently under the NGO’s observation and will soon be released back into its natural habitat.

Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO, of Wildlife SOS said, “During monsoons, it is not uncommon for snakes to be sighted in residential areas and dense human habitations. In fact, this happens because heavy rains flood the burrows and dens of the snakes and they move to drier places to seek shelter. In the month of July alone, our Rapid Response Unit responded to over 60 reptile calls across Delhi-NCR.”

The Painted Stork which had fallen victim to a kite Manjha was found lying near Kargil apartments in sector 18. The bird had sustained a wound on one of its wings disabling it from flying.

The Painted Stork is a near-threatened species and is widely distributed over the plains of South and Southeast Asia. The species is threatened by human-induced factors such as habitat loss, agricultural pollution, and disturbance from human activities.

Wasim Akram, Deputy Director-Special Projects, Wildlife SOS said, “A cut on the wing is extremely critical for any bird and cannot be overlooked. The wound has been treated and the bird is placed under mandated medical observation to ensure it recuperates safely from the ordeal.”