20 Rescued Pythons Found Dead Inside Well At Kerala Forest Department Premises In Kozhikode

At least 20 rescued Indian rock pythons were found dead inside a well at the Forest and Wildlife Department's Vanasree office premises in Mathottam, Kozhikode, raising questions over the temporary keeping of rescued snakes.

The pythons had been rescued from different parts of Kozhikode district by the department's Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) and were being kept in the well before being transported to forest areas for release, forest officials said.

The carcasses were removed from the well earlier this week after department staff noticed a foul smell. Several live pythons were also found among or on top of the dead snakes.

Sources alleged that the pythons had remained in the well for nearly two weeks and claimed some snakes at the bottom may have died under the weight of others. The well reportedly has a narrow opening, making the arrangement particularly difficult for handling a large number of snakes.

A senior forest official, however, rejected allegations of negligence and said temporarily keeping rescued snakes in such wells was a practice followed at several locations.

The official said the pythons were periodically taken out and transported in RRT vehicles for release in forests. When staff recently arrived to relocate the snakes, some were found dead, apparently due to infection, he said.

The department rescues around four to five pythons a day from areas within Kozhikode city alone, making the temporary management of rescued snakes a regular requirement. The official said the relocation of the snakes had been affected after a leopard was reported in human habitation in Nadapuram, prompting the department to divert its manpower to the area.

The Indian rock python is a Schedule I species under the Wildlife Protection Act, giving it the highest level of legal protection.

However, the exact cause of the deaths has not yet been officially established. No post-mortem report was immediately available, and the circumstances surrounding the deaths remain unclear.