July unfolded as a month of shifting weather across northern India. Relentless summer heat gave way to erratic showers, rising humidity and the first signs of the monsoon, bringing a noticeable change in how wildlife moved through the landscapes we share.
From Delhi-NCR’s concrete corridors to Uttar Pradesh’s and Gujarat’s farmlands and villages, Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Units responded to hundreds of calls involving reptiles seeking shelter, birds battling dehydration and mammals navigating increasingly human-dominated spaces. Across Delhi and Uttar Pradesh alone, 393 wild animals were rescued during July, each rescue reflecting how changing weather continues to shape human-wildlife interactions.
DELHI NCR
Delhi’s prolonged heat, punctuated by unpredictable weather, kept the Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit constantly on the move throughout July. Reptiles sought refuge inside buildings to escape scorching temperatures, birds struggled with dehydration, and mammals increasingly ventured into urban spaces where rescue teams were often their only chance of safe intervention.
One of the month’s most unusual rescues came from Kasturba Hospital in Daryaganj, where a wolf snake (Lycodon aulicus) was discovered inside the hospital premises. Around the same time, two more snakes — a glossy-bellied racer (Platyceps ventromaculatus) and a common cat snake (Boiga trigonata) — were found sheltering beneath a radar installation at the Air Force Station in Arjangarh. All three reptiles were safely rescued and released into suitable natural habitats.
The city’s soaring temperatures also drove a Bengal monitor lizard (Varanus bengalensis) into a residential complex in Noida, where it had taken refuge in a cool, shaded corner. After a thorough health assessment, the lizard was safely released back into the wild.
July also saw the Delhi rescue team respond to an incident concerning injured rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) inside the Parliament House complex. The animal was found with multiple wounds, likely caused by a territorial conflict or accidental entanglement with urban infrastructure, and was brought under veterinary care for treatment.
In all, the Delhi-NCR team carried out 159 rescues during the hot month of July, which included 99 birds of which 22 were black kites, 42 reptiles comprising 12 highly venomous spectacled cobras, and 18 mammals, with rhesus macaques topping this list at 10 and 1 baby civet cat as well. These numbers reflect the growing pressures wildlife faces in extreme weather.
UTTAR PRADESH
The month saw monsoon showers sweeping across Uttar Pradesh since it began. Waterways expanded, greenery became denser, and movement of wildlife increased drastically. The changing landscape brought a surge in reptile rescues, with snakes and crocodiles frequently appearing in villages, agricultural fields and public spaces.
One of July’s standout rescues unfolded in Midhakur village, Agra, where a nearly 12-foot Indian rock python (Python molurus) was discovered hidden inside a towering sorghum field. The dense crop had provided perfect cover for the massive snake until local residents spotted it and alerted authorities. Working alongside the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department, the Wildlife SOS team carefully navigated the field and safely relocated the python into suitable habitat.
In another rescue, a common sand boa (Eryx conicus), a species heavily targeted by illegal wildlife traffickers because of superstition-driven myths, was safely rescued from a temple within the Kiraoli forest range before being released back into the wild.
The month’s rescues surely included some of the most dramatic operations. In Etah district, a nine-foot marsh crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) wandered into Maksudpur village and was spotted by a local in the late hours of the night. Wildlife SOS’s helpline number rang, prompting the team to reach the location at around 2 AM. By the time they arrived, frightened villagers had restrained the crocodile with ropes and taped its jaws shut. After carefully dispersing the crowd, the Wildlife SOS team carefully removed the restraints, examined the exhausted reptile and safely relocated it to an appropriate waterbody.
Overwhelming rescues continued with the team facing a challenge that is unfortunately becoming a common threat to wildlife — plastic pollution. In Sikandra, Agra, an eight-foot Indian rock python was tightly entangled in a discarded telephone wire near a forested area. It was found trapped inside a plastic bottle with critical injuries. Expert veterinarians at the Agra Bear Rescue Facility surgically removed the embedded wire, confirmed through radiographic examination that no fractures were present, and continued to monitor the snake’s recovery before its eventual release.
The same rescue team later responded to an equally memorable call. This involved dismantling an entire washing machine in order to rescue an Indian wolf snake that had sought a comfortable refuge inside the appliance.
The Uttar Pradesh Rapid Response Unit carried out 234 rescues during July. More than half of these rescues included reptiles that reached a total of 149 and included 32 spectacled cobras, 29 rat snakes, 28 wolf snakes, 28 monitor lizards, and four Indian rock pythons. When it came to birds, 48 of them were rescued, of which 30 were Indian peafowls. Among 37 mammals saved, 25 were rhesus macaques. High numbers illustrate how monsoon-driven wildlife movement increasingly overlaps with human settlements.
GUJARAT
As monsoon rains intensified across Gujarat, rising water levels and surrounding wetlands pushed wildlife into nearby residential areas and fishing zones. The changing landscape led to an increase in rescue calls, with reptiles and other wild animals frequently turning up in neighbourhoods and along riverbanks as they searched for safer ground.
One of July’s notable rescues took place in a residential society near the Vishwamitri River in Vadodara, where a Bengal monitor lizard that was two and a half feet long was found wandering inside the premises. The housing society, located close to the river, often experiences reptile movement during the monsoon as rising water levels drive animals into nearby urban spaces. The healthy lizard was safely rescued and released into a suitable natural habitat away from human settlements.
Another memorable rescue unfolded in Dhanyave village near Vadodara, where a four-and-a-half foot crocodile became accidentally entangled in a fisherman’s net after it was cast into the river. Working under the supervision of the Gujarat Forest Department, the Wildlife SOS team carefully freed the crocodile from the net before safely releasing it back into an appropriate waterbody.
The Gujarat Rapid Response Unit carried out 133 rescues during July, including 77 snakes, five crocodiles, four monitor lizards, 37 birds and seven mammals. The month’s rescues also included five squirrels, one rhesus macaque, one parrot, one peafowl and one turtle, illustrating how rising river levels and monsoon-driven wildlife movement increasingly bring Gujarat’s native species into close contact with people.
JAMMU & KASHMIR (J&K)
During the month of July, the Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit in Jammu & Kashmir responded to 30 rescue calls, of which snake rescues reached a whopping number of 27! These included 13 rat snakes, six Levantine vipers, four Himalayan trinket snakes, two Ladakh cliff racers and two Ladakh cliff racer snakelets. The remaining rescues were of three black kites (Milvus migrans) that were found together after one of the most striking situations.
Lightning had struck a tree where the three avians had perched. So powerful was the strike that it had left the trio injured and unable to fly, prompting local residents to alert the Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit.
Working quickly to secure the distressed raptors, the rescue team carefully transported them for veterinary treatment, where they received care for injuries sustained during the strike. After recovering well under close observation, all three black kites were successfully released back into their natural habitat.
Whether it was a crocodile wandering into a village, a python trapped in discarded waste or a dehydrated bird collapsing in the city, July’s nationwide rescues demonstrate how timely intervention can prevent conflict while giving wildlife a second chance.
If you encounter a wild animal in distress, avoid attempting a rescue yourself and contact trained rescue professionals immediately. Wildlife SOS runs 24×7 rescue hotlines in the following regions:
- Delhi-NCR: +91 9871963535
- Agra & Mathura, Uttar Pradesh: +91 9917109666
- Jammu & Kashmir: +91 7006692300 / +91 9419778280
- Vadodara, Gujarat: +91 9825011117
Every timely call helps protect both people and wildlife.
Feature Image: Ashray Thakur/Wildlife SOS
