TIMES OF INDIA (New Delhi) 13 September 10 Snake conservation is child's play in his case (Vikram Jit Singh)
Chandigarh: A Swedish study published in September 2001 had found that fear of reptiles, especially snakes, was embedded in the brains of early mammals so that they could survive in an environment dominated by these crawling creatures. However, it seems that those researchers forgot to tell this little boy about their findings.
Chirag, 4, son of Capt (retd) Suresh Sharma, was the first to reach the house of Col Rupendra Singh in Chandimandir cantonment to rescue a young Indian rock python that got in there during the wee hours of Sunday, apparently after monsoon's onslaught unnerved it.
The father and son, who arrived in their ' King Cobra' van, were followed soon by another conservationist, Salim Khan, on his scooter. He had got delayed due to an emergency call in Sector 10, Chandigarh.
When he saw the snake first, Col Rupendra had identified that this was the non-venomous python and not highly-venomous Russel's viper, which abounds in Chandimandir's grasses, and did not opt for the violent way out. He chose to call in the experts. The early birds got to perform the rescue and let the python out in Shiwalik Golf Course.
But before that, when Capt Sharma fished it out with a snake hook, Col Rupendra's family gathered around the serpent to learn its natural history 'How old was it' How long can a python grow' What does it eat'' asked the onlookers. Chandimandir has plenty of pythons, quipped Col Rupendra.
Chirag and Col Rupendra's daughter got to take a very close look, encouraged by their parents. Neither of them showed fear.
Col Rupendra's wife wanted to see how her poodle would react to the serpent. The python was all of 5-6 feet.
These serpents are born nearly 4-feet long and can grow up to 15 feet.
When things got very animated, the python obligingly exited some white poop. 'It has probably eaten some small prey. While it is not venomous, its skin has a lot of bacteria. Its bite is painful and carries infections,' said Capt Sharma.
The only menacing hisses came at the fag end of the drama when Khan and Capt Sharma ' as is the bane of rivalry-riven Indian conservationists ' exchanged something more than pleasantries.
Pythons have been recovered this monsoon from outside the Chandigarh Golf Club, the Sukhna lake and Chandimandir.
They are covered under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and are classified as 'near threatened' by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature due to illegal trade in python skin, meat and for the pet business.
Snake conservation is child's play in his case