A Wolf snake found inside the engine of a Hyundai sedan was rescued by the Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit from Greater Kailash-2 , New Delhi. The snake was later safely released in a safe habitat.

A family residing in W-block of Greater Kailash -2, was caught off guard by the sight of a wolf snake perched on top of their car bonnet, late Friday night. While the security guards stepped in to take a closer look, the snake swiftly crawled under the bonnet.

Sameer Jain, the person who called Wildlife SOS, said,“This is the first time we’ve seen a snake in such close quarters. The Wildlife SOS team arrived promptly and carried out the rescue operation quite efficiently.”

The NGO also rescued a cobra that was found under the mattress in a house near Raj Ghat and another cobra was rescued from a house in Faridabad.

Kartick Satyanarayan, CEO, Wildlife SOS, said, “Incidents such as this have been the driving force behind the establishment of the Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit. Our goal is to alleviate common misconceptions about reptiles and sensitize people to these incredible animals, using education, awareness and positive intervention to help mitigate human-reptile conflict.”

Wasim Akram, Deputy Director - Special Projects, Wildlife SOS, said, “Wolf snakes are nocturnal, so they are more active during night. Due to its resemblance to the Common Krait, ahighly venomous snake species found in India, wolf snakes are often misidentified and end as victims of human-wildlife conflict.”

This similarity is not coincidental, as resembling one of the most venomous snakes in India helps this species to survive. This similarity in snake appearance exemplifies a kind of protective mimicry that evolves in certain related wildlife species, including other species of snakes.

The common wolf snake (Lycodon aulicus) is a non-venomous snake species found in South Asia and Southeast Asia.