It may be hard to believe but Shivaji Park police station, which is in the heart of the city, is the first place to be intimated whenever a snake sighting is reported.
It may be hard to believe but Shivaji Park police station, which is in the heart of the city, is the first place to be intimated whenever a snake sighting is reported. All these callers are seeking police constable Murlidhar Jadhav (30), who is known to have a way with snakes.
Mr Jadhav rescues as many as three to four snakes on a daily basis. The constable said he has been rescuing snakes for the last 20 years and has been doing the same for some seven to eight years in Mumbai. So far, he has rescued around 2,000 serpents.
Whenever people sight a snake in their area, they generally call police helpline number 100 seeking help. The person attending the helpline then passes on the information to Mr Jadhav as he is well known in police circles for his skill with snakes. “Every time when my police station gets such a call, they inform me about it. My seniors also support me and encourage me to help rescue the snake,” said Mr Jadhav.
Mr Jadhav who always wanted to do zoology dropped out after he joined the police force. “When I was eight, I was working in the fields at my village in Lauhara, Jalgaon. While working, I was bitten by a snake and fell unconscious. At that time a local man, Rajesh Tomare, helped me.
I then learnt everything about snakes from him,” said Mr Jadhav. Mr Jadhav stays in Haji Malang area of Kalyan and travels across the city to catch snakes everyday. “Nowadays, I rescue snakes based on emergency calls received by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the police control room or from locals. After reaching the spot and rescuing the reptile, I check if the snake has been injured. In case of injury, I treat the snake and then hand it over to the forest department.”
Sunish Subramanian Kunju, secretary of Plants and Animals Welfare society (PAWS-Mumbai) said, “Because of rapid development we are losing our green cover and this leads to destruction of the natural habitat of snakes. So, it is not uncommon to sight snakes and other reptiles in any vicinity.”
