Meerut: 8 snakes rescued from house where villagers killed 52 serpents

Two days after the residents of Samouli village in Meerut district killed 52 snakes that crawled out of the courtyard of a farmer's house, forest officials rescued eight snakes from the same house under the Daurala police station limits, officials said on Wednesday.

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According to the forest department, the non-venomous snakes were safely removed by a rescue team after they were found at the residence of Mahfooz Saifi on Tuesday night.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Rajesh Kumar told PTI on Wednesday that the rescued snakes appeared to be of non-venomous species.

“It is likely that the snakes laid eggs in the house earlier, which are now hatching in phases,” Kumar said.

Aditya Tiwari, a herpetologist who runs an NGO, said the snakes likely belonged to the checkered keelback species, a water snake.

“This species is non-venomous, and a female can lay up to 40-50 eggs at a time,” he said.

The recurring incidents have triggered panic in the village, with locals demanding a permanent solution to the issue.

The forest department has urged residents not to harm snakes and to report such sightings to the authorities immediately.

Officials also reminded people that killing snakes is a punishable offence under the Wildlife Protection Act, and strict action will be taken against the violators.  On Sunday, the village witnessed a startling sight when more than 100 snakes crawled out of the courtyard of Saifi's house, triggering panic in the area.

After the initial shock, the villagers joined Saifi and his family and killed as many as 52 snakes, which they buried in a pit.

The DFO told PTI on Monday that a team was dispatched to the spot for investigation after a video of the incident went viral on social media.

The snakes turned out to be creatures protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, he said.