<p>Bengaluru: The recent rains have flushed snakes out of their hidden burrows and into human spaces, leading to a sharp spike in sightings and emergency rescue calls.</p>.<p>From residential layouts to public spaces such as parks, rescuers say encounters have become more frequent and unpredictable, raising concerns about the safety of both the public and the reptiles.</p>.<p>Statewide snakebite cases rose from 182 in mid-March to 322 by the end of April.</p>.<p>Wildlife conservationists and snake rescuers said rescue calls had doubled over the past few days following the rains.</p>.<p>Prasanna Kumar, a wildlife conservationist, said, “We have been getting a lot of calls in the last few days. The mating season for snakes has ended, and eggs hatch at the end of May and in June, which will increase sightings of snakelets.”</p>.<p>“The bigger problem is that the rain has also damaged about 45% of the eggs laid by snakes. Rainwater entering burrows and rat holes has infected the eggs with fungus, causing some of them not to hatch,” he added.</p>.<p>Vallish V Koushik, another wildlife conservationist, shared his experience: “After the rains, I got more calls in two days than in a whole month. On Thursday, I received calls from four different areas in Bengaluru. I caught snakes in Yelahanka Judicial Layout and Hosakerehalli, and released them more than a kilometre away from residential layouts.”</p>.<p>Rescuers reported finding more Russell’s vipers, cobras, rat snakes and water snakes.</p>.<p>Rajesh, a snake rescuer in the city, said, “Any temperature imbalance brings snakes out of their burrows. Heat forces them to move to cooler places, and when rainwater enters burrows, they come out, increasing sightings. Healthy snakes lay anywhere between 20 and 50 eggs, and only about half survive.”</p>.<p>Ramesh Kumar, another snake rescuer, said, “We have received calls from many localities in Bengaluru, with the highest number coming from Hebbal, Mathikere, Yelahanka, Byatarayanapura and surrounding areas.”</p>.<p>Health department officials said anti-venom vaccines had been made available in government hospitals across the state.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The recent rains have flushed snakes out of their hidden burrows and into human spaces, leading to a sharp spike in sightings and emergency rescue calls.</p>.<p>From residential layouts to public spaces such as parks, rescuers say encounters have become more frequent and unpredictable, raising concerns about the safety of both the public and the reptiles.</p>.<p>Statewide snakebite cases rose from 182 in mid-March to 322 by the end of April.</p>.<p>Wildlife conservationists and snake rescuers said rescue calls had doubled over the past few days following the rains.</p>.<p>Prasanna Kumar, a wildlife conservationist, said, “We have been getting a lot of calls in the last few days. The mating season for snakes has ended, and eggs hatch at the end of May and in June, which will increase sightings of snakelets.”</p>.<p>“The bigger problem is that the rain has also damaged about 45% of the eggs laid by snakes. Rainwater entering burrows and rat holes has infected the eggs with fungus, causing some of them not to hatch,” he added.</p>.<p>Vallish V Koushik, another wildlife conservationist, shared his experience: “After the rains, I got more calls in two days than in a whole month. On Thursday, I received calls from four different areas in Bengaluru. I caught snakes in Yelahanka Judicial Layout and Hosakerehalli, and released them more than a kilometre away from residential layouts.”</p>.<p>Rescuers reported finding more Russell’s vipers, cobras, rat snakes and water snakes.</p>.<p>Rajesh, a snake rescuer in the city, said, “Any temperature imbalance brings snakes out of their burrows. Heat forces them to move to cooler places, and when rainwater enters burrows, they come out, increasing sightings. Healthy snakes lay anywhere between 20 and 50 eggs, and only about half survive.”</p>.<p>Ramesh Kumar, another snake rescuer, said, “We have received calls from many localities in Bengaluru, with the highest number coming from Hebbal, Mathikere, Yelahanka, Byatarayanapura and surrounding areas.”</p>.<p>Health department officials said anti-venom vaccines had been made available in government hospitals across the state.</p>