In Kozhikode, India, more than 20 pythons that had been rescued were later found dead in a well on the Mathottam grounds of the Forest and Wildlife Department's Vanasree office, according to ETV Bharat.
The bodies were already decomposing, while some survivors remained trapped on top of the pile of dead animals.
Here's what to know
Before that discovery, the rescued snakes had been placed in the well at the department's Vanasree office site in Mathottam after being collected from different parts of Kozhikode district, ETV Bharat reported, while they awaited release into the forest.
Department staff decided to check the well after noticing an unpleasant smell. Inside, they recovered badly decomposed carcasses and saw that some pythons were still living above the dead animals.
Sources cited by ETV Bharat said the snakes may have been left there for close to two weeks in a well with only a small opening, though no official finding had confirmed those claims.
The deaths included Indian rock pythons, a Schedule I species under the Wildlife Protection Act, the country's highest level of legal protection.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
More background
Speaking to PTI, a senior forest official rejected allegations of negligence and said using such wells as temporary holding spots for rescued snakes is a common practice at multiple locations until transport can be arranged.
The official told PTI that the department handles roughly four to five python rescues a day from within Kozhikode's city limits alone, with officers regularly called into neighborhoods and other human-dominated spaces.
According to the official, forest staff had also been sent to Nadapuram after reports of a leopard near human habitation, drawing manpower away from other work.
What's being done?
The senior forest official told PTI that Rapid Response Teams continue rescuing pythons from city areas and periodically transport them by vehicle for release in forest habitat based on priority.
Officials have also defended the temporary holding method, with the senior forest official saying the dead animals appeared to have died "due to infection" rather than neglect. PTI also reported that an immediate post-mortem report was not available.
Explaining the backlog, the senior forest official told PTI, "This time, there was panic among local people following the presence of a leopard in human habitation in Nadapuram. So, the department's entire manpower was shifted to that area during those days."
Where can I learn more?
For more on snake rescues, close encounters, and growing human-wildlife contact worldwide, these stories are a good place to start. They cover baby snakes in a water tank, monsoon-driven urban sightings, a cobra removed from a home, rising snakebite risks, and python-linked disease concerns in Florida.
• In Haridwar, a family found 27 baby snakes inside their household water tank.
• In Delhi, scientists warned of a troubling monsoon surge as snakes entered neighborhoods.
• In Telangana, a snake catcher removed an Indian cobra from grandparents' home.
• Across India, rising temperatures were linked to more snakebite incidents and health risks.
• In Florida, Burmese pythons may be spreading a suffocating parasite to native snakes.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
