Ankur Nandi rescues wounded 9-foot python from university campus

A 9-foot-long male python was rescued from the Assam University Silchar (AUS) campus on Thursday (February 6) evening after being spotted in front of the girls’ hostel. Research scholar Ankur Nandi from the Department of Life Science and Bioinformatics responded to a call at around 5:50 pm and found a small crowd gathered, taking pictures of the snake.

Upon capturing the reptile, Nandi observed a minor wound on its side, with slight bleeding. “It wasn’t severe, but I suspect someone from the crowd might have poked it with a stick or something,” he said. The python was safely released into a nearby protected eco-forest area after a brief check-up.

Nandi urged people to avoid touching wild snakes to prevent such injuries. “The best option is to call the forest department or the police and to appreciate the animal from a safe distance,” he advised.

A day after the incident, an awareness programme was held on campus, shedding light on the increasing frequency of wild animal sightings at AUS. The university is adjacent to a protected forest, but deforestation has been forcing wildlife, including snakes and porcupines, into human-inhabited areas. The programme revealed that at least 35 per cent of the forest cover has been lost, primarily due to illegal tree-cutting and smuggling activities.

Before labelling the varsity as a zoo and mocking these frequent wildlife appearances, one must acknowledge the underlying issue- deforestation, speakers at the event emphasised. The call for conservation and reforestation efforts was reiterated to ensure the safety of both wildlife and humans in and around the campus.

Also read, “https://barakbulletin.com/en_US/wildlife-at-risk-illegal-hunting-and-deforestation-threaten-assam-universitys-ecosystem/”