Pune: The relentless summer heat has not only left city residents struggling but has also severely affected urban wildlife. Amid this suffering, stories of kindness and hope are emerging. One such incident involved volunteers risking their safety to revive a severely dehydrated, motionless snake by offering it water.
Rescue in Anandvan Urban Forest
The incident occurred on May 19 at Anandvan 5, a 75-acre urban forest restoration site near Majestique Euriska society in Handewadi. Members of the Anandvan Foundation were supervising ongoing work when an earthmover driver stopped after spotting something unusual ahead.
"The driver said he did not want to move forward as he could see a snake. When we went closer, we saw the snake partly buried in the soil. It could not wriggle out. At first, we could not tell whether it was injured or collapsed due to the heat," said Praveen Kumar, founder of Anandvan Foundation.
Careful Rescue and Rehydration
Anandvan co-founder Bhupesh Sharma and other volunteers carefully lifted the reptile out of the mud and moved it into shade. The snake appeared limp and severely exhausted. "We had water bottles with us, so we slowly offered it some water. The snake immediately started drinking. I have never seen a snake drink water like this. Slowly, it regained movement and after resting for some time, it became active again and slithered back into the forest," Kumar said.
The rescue was captured on video and shared by Sharma on Instagram, showing the snake slowly raising its head and drinking directly from the bottle.
Snake Identified as Non-Venomous Rat Snake
The reptile is believed to be a non-venomous rat snake, commonly found in Pune's green spaces. Wildlife enthusiasts say the behavior seen in the video strongly points to dehydration and heat stress following last week's intense temperatures.
For Sharma, helping the animal felt instinctive. "My brother and I have always been close to wildlife. When we walk through forests, we often come across snakes and we do not panic because we can identify the non-venomous ones. We have also rescued birds that fell from nests, cared for them, and released them once they recovered. Helping animals has always come naturally to us," he shared.
Reptiles Vulnerable to Extreme Heat
Reptiles are especially vulnerable during extreme heat as they depend entirely on environmental temperatures to regulate body heat. Unlike mammals, snakes cannot sweat or cool themselves internally. Prolonged heatwaves can leave them dehydrated, weak, and disoriented, according to experts.
Even Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park in Katraj has intensified summer protection measures for reptiles this year. Zoo director Rajkumar Jadhav said coolers, fans, foggers, and other systems are being used across enclosures to maintain safe temperatures for animals during the unusually harsh summer. "It is true that temperatures have been quite high this year and we are taking extra efforts to ensure proper care of all animals. We have systems in place to maintain ambient temperatures for snakes and reptiles even when temperatures rise outside," said Jadhav.
