Shimla/Kinnaur
A pair of highly venomous pit vipers was successfully rescued from a house in Rakchham village of Kinnaur district on Friday after local residents alerted the Forest Department. The snakes were later released into a safe natural habitat, averting any harm to both people and wildlife.
According to officials, the reptiles had hidden inside the kitchen of a Nepali community household in the Rakchham-Chitkul Wildlife Sanctuary area. Acting on the information, Wildlife Block Officer Gopal Negi, along with Block Forest Officer Santosh Kumar Thakur, led a rescue team comprising Alpana and Virender Thakur. After nearly three hours of intensive efforts, both snakes were safely captured.
Negi appealed to residents not to kill snakes if spotted and instead inform the Forest Department so trained personnel can rescue and relocate them safely.
Forest officials said pit vipers are nocturnal venomous snakes equipped with heat-sensing pits between their eyes and nostrils, enabling them to detect warm-blooded prey even in darkness. Their venom is primarily hemotoxic, affecting blood clotting and body tissues.
Range Officer Roop Singh congratulated the rescue team, saying such operations are crucial for wildlife conservation and help promote peaceful coexistence between humans and wild animals. He also urged people to change misconceptions about snakes, noting that only a handful of snake species found in Himachal Pradesh are venomous.
