Leopard, fox die in roadkill
In two separate accidents, a female leopard and a female fox died on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning respectively, in Nashik. With these two cases, the concerns regarding wildlife’s safety have once again come to the fore.
In the first accident, a female fox got severely injured following a collision with an unidentified vehicle in front of Hotel Radhakrishna Resort, Nashik Trimbakeshwar Road, near Anjaneri area, around 8:00 p.m., on Tuesday. The fox, estimated age three, was brought to Nashik for treatment. However, she succumbed to the injuries around 10:30 p.m. on the same night.
In the second accident, a female leopard died on the spot; on Wednesday morning following a collision with a train near Railway Track Pole No. 174, 27, 29, near South Air Force Gate area, Lahvit Village. The presence of leopards is increasing in various patches of the district. However, shifting to urban areas put their safety at a toss. The Forest Department needs to take concrete steps to prevent such atrocities in the future.
Viper snake rescued, released in wild
The changing weather conditions are also impacting the reptile. As the cold days have started, many snakes are moving out of their habitat towards the urban areas. One of the venomous species of snakes, Ghonas was detected at Stationwadi locality in Deolali Camp. Following the detection, the reptile was caught and released into the wild later by snake friend Rafiq Sheikh.
It is understood that the reptile caught was Russell’s viper snake (Ghonas) highly venomous. According to locals, Sheikh caught the snake with a stick and later safely released him in the woods surrounding the Barnes School area to save his life.
