Python suffers fractures, treated in Tirunelveli hospital

MADURAI: A nine-month-old reticulated python that suffered two fractures on its backbone was rescued by a police inspector and treated in an orthopaedic hospital in Tirunelveli on Thursday.
It is suspected that the 4.5-foot-long reptile could have been beaten by someone. The snake would not have survived had it not got timely help, wildlife enthusiasts said.
A farmer spotted the female snake in distress in an agricultural land at Kilakulam near Veeravanallur on Thursday morning.“The snake might have got injured somewhere close by It managed to crawl to the farmer’s land,” Veeravanallur inspector and wildlife enthusiast E Samson told TOI.
Though rescuing pythons is an easy task, it was not so in this case. The snake was in pain and agitated. It was rescued after a 10-minute effort.
It was taken to Tirunelveli, around 40km away. Orthopaedic surgeon and Tirunelveli district vice-president of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals A Francis Roy was alerted.The snake suffered fractures on two places on its backbone, probably when someone beat it.
“With the help of a local snake rescuer, we administered plaster of Paris to ensure that it is immobile for a few days as movement of the backbone will hinder the healing process. It was handed over to the forest department where it would be under observation for 15 days,” said Roy.
“The snake could not be immediately released in the wild as it could become easy prey to bigger snakes or carnivorous birds. Snakes don’t eat when they are injured.
They have long starvation capability that would last for many days. An x-ray will be taken after two weeks to check the recovery status before taking a decision on releasing it,” the doctor added.
Wildlife enthusiasts said that reticulated pythons have a lifespan of more than 20 years in the wild.
They can live up to 35 years under captivity and can touch 15 feet in length. They appealed to the government to rehabilitate injured reptiles by keeping them in zoos and replace the healthy adult snakes that are under captivity in the wild.