Bharatiya Prani Mitra Sangh in association with Wildlife Protection Society, Sahayog Organisation, Karuna International, Prani Mitra Ramesh Jagirdar Memorial Education and other animal welfare organizations will rescue snakes from the clutches of snake charmers on Naga Panchami festival on Friday.
Speaking to mediapersons here, Mahesh Agarwal, president of Telangana Goshala Federation has appealed to the devotees not to feed milk to snakes. “The snakes can’t digest milk which may act as toxin leading to death of snakes”, he said and appealed to devotees to perform pujas only at the temples. He said snake charmers subject snakes to various types of cruelties leading to the death of snakes in the near future. He said this time special police will be posted near the temples to prevent the harmful practice and save the snakes.
Catching of snakes, keeping them in captivity and causing injury to them is a grave offence with can lead to imprisonment under Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, he warned. He also said five special teams from various animal welfare organizations will go around various places in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits on Naga Panchami day to check snake related activities. He also disclosed that seven cobras were rescued from the clutches of snake charmers till date. A helpline was also established in this connection. The numbers are: 9394005600 and 9246175600
Shaikhat Chakravarthy, secretary, Wildlife Protection Society, Premchand Munot Jain, president, Sahayog Organisation, Ridesh Jagirdar, secretary, Prani Mitra Ramesh Jagirdar Memorial Foundation were also present. (NSS)