Rare bird, snake rescued in city

BANGALORE: BBMP’s forest officials and paramedical staff have rescued rare species of Albino Rat Snake and Night Heron from two different parts of the city. A paramedical centre was set up by the BBMP’s forest department last year to educate citizens to cooperate and inform officials if animals and birds were found in precarious condition or any other state which needs attention of the experts. On Saturday, an employee of the centre received two different calls. One was from Kalisipalayam scrap market. Idris Pasha, a scrap shop owner, found a yellow snake moving when he was clearing debris in his shop and immediately, he informed the BBMP officials. “We normally get calls from this area, when snakes are found, but before our arrival people kill it out of fear. But Idris Pasha was intelligent enough. He did not inform others, thinking public attention may harm the reptile,” BBMP’s wild life warden Sharat Babu said.He further said, “We have rescued a rare specious of Rat Snake. In my fifteen years’ career, this is the first time I have come across an Albino Rat Snake in Bangalore. We also rescued a rare bird ‘Night Heron’ from K P Agrahara on Magadi Road.”He added, “Both creatures are doing well. We will keep them in rehabilitation centre and they will be released in conducive habitats. We are happy that people are getting our message and helping us protect the species before it is too late.”The Heron rescuer Sriram, a wildlife activist and a BBMP volunteer, picked up the adult bird from a road in K P Agrahara. The bird has become rare in places like Bangalore and mostly found in Ranganathittu near Srirangapatna. Wildlife activist Sriram spoke about the bird he rescued and said, “The bird will be released in Lalbagh lake once it is properly rehabilitated. These types of birds and snakes were commonly found in Bangalore few years ago, but they migrated and became rare due to rapid construction activities and shrinking of urban forest and lakes.”