A checkered keelback (jol meteli) snake has been rescued from a homestead in Swarajpur village of Sonagazi upazila in Feni. The Wildlife and Snake Rescue Team in Bangladesh (WSRTBD) rescued it from Nikunja Daktarbari in Swarajpur on the afternoon of 4 September.

Local sources said residents saw the snake near the house in the afternoon and informed the rescue team. WSRTBD general secretary Nazrul Islam reached the spot and rescued the snake safely.

Nazrul Islam said the checkered keelback is a calm animal of aquatic environments that mainly lives near water bodies and feeds on small fish and frogs. Because it gives birth to live young rather than laying eggs, it comes near homes and settlements in the breeding season looking for dry places.

He said the snake is not dangerous to people. It is only very mildly venomous and does not bite unless attacked. Its bite usually causes no poisoning, though it may cause mild burning or itching. The species plays a very important role in keeping the environment in balance, he said.

The organisation said the rescued snake will soon be released in a safe natural environment away from settlements. It also urged the public not to kill snakes but to call experienced rescue teams, to protect nature and biodiversity.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.