Animal welfare volunteers urge people to celebrate Naga Panchami with caution

Hyderabad: Animal welfare volunteers on Sunday have urged people to celebrate Naga Panchami festival, which falls on Tuesday, with caution and alert the volunteers on coming across snakes that are in distress and need rescue and medical assistance.

The Greater Hyderabad Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (GHSPCA), which is involved in rescue, treatment and releasing back snakes in and around Hyderabad since 2005, have urged people not to encourage snake charmers who tend to treat snakes badly during the festival.

“Naga Panchami is a very important festival and is celebrated widely across South India. The rituals and cultures of the festival must be respected and followed by all. However, quite often, the snake charmers to earn quick money, capture the snakes, pluck-off their fangs, crush their fangs, stitch their mouths and keep them in closed dark crates without giving them food,” the NGO said.

The GHSPCA, which has so far rescued 2,946 snakes during this festival, has urged people to alert them so that the lives of the distressed snakes can be saved.

“Treating snakes that way is a crime and a non-bailable offence under Wildlife Protection Act 1972. The GHSPCA, Forest Department along with other organizations will conduct raids to rescue snakes,” it said.

Due to sustained efforts at making people aware on the importance of saving snakes, the snake rescues during the festival have decreased from an average of over 200 to just 11 last year.

Snake emergency contact numbers:

* GHSPCA: 8886743881/ 9949602074
* PFA: 9490149601