Number of pythons rising in West Bengal's Birbhum

KOLKATA: The rising number of pythons in Birbhum district of West Bengal has caused panic among the residents. Last year four pythons were rescued and this year the number has gone up to 14. Forest department officials and zoologists also believe this may affect the ecosystem.
Dinabandhu Biswas of Indian Govt's Wildlife Protection Society said, "Python prefers to eat crawler animals, which play an important role in increasing the soil fertility."
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Assistant forest official of Birbhum, Bijan Nath said, "Yes, many pythons have rescued recently.We are tracking them. This may harm the ecosystem.'
According to forest department data, residents living in the nearby areas of the Mayurakshi River, have witnessed the rising number of pythons. Even the locals have killed a few pythons. Residents of Dhanyagram village have seen three pythons in one day and killed one last month. The forest department rescued the other two.
Zoologists believe that amount of food in the nearby areas of the Mayurakshi River is the main reason for the pythons to show up in these areas. Most of the snakes come from Jharkhand hills.