Volunteers of Bangalore corporation's wildlife protection cell have rescued eight snakes that were being used by a dance troupe in their performances.
Volunteers of the city corporation's wildlife protection cell have rescued eight snakes that were being used by a dance troupe in their performances.
That the snakes were being used in the performances came to light on Friday in Yelahanka New Town. Praveen BR, a volunteer of the wildlife protection cell of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had gone to see a show in a playground near Yelahanka New Town bus stand. There he noticed that the dancers were performing with a python.
When he checked backstage, he found other snakes--another huge python, four cobras and two rat snakes--in a box. Praveen said the snakes had been kept in captivity for more than six months and the dancers had removed the fangs of the cobras. BBMP wildlife advisor Sharath Babu said the snakes were dehydrated and stressed.
Praveen immediately called up the chiefs of the Palike's wildlife cell and the forest department. They rescued the snakes and arrested the dancers. Range Forest Officer (RFO) Jagannath Reddy arrested Karthikeyan (24) of Namakkal district, Tamil Nadu; William (40) of Bangalore; and Anbalagan (29) of Chennai.
Sources said they had captured the snakes in Satyamangala forests. The three were booked under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. They were produced before a court, which sent them to Parappana Agrahara prison.
Sources said some local leaders influenced the forest department officials and saved the organisers and the troupe head, Santhosh, from the arrest. One of the viewers of the show said the programme on Friday was organised by local political leaders and attended by a few prominent ones, who were sitting in the front row.
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