Amravati: Workers and security guards at Amravati airport in Belora near Badnera on Tuesday night took evasive action after spotting a 12-foot long Indian rock python slithering through the plants right outside the entrance. Snake handlers rescued the python and later released it into the wild.The unusual sight was reported around 12am. As the news spread, staff kept a safe distance while guards kept watch, worried the massive python could wander further into the premises.Help came in the form of Badnera-based Sarpamitra Rahul Wankhade and his team. Alerted by a staffer at the airport, Wankhade reached the spot around 3 am with his teammates Rithik Dhoke, Sumit Maliye and Prem Chaudhari.The python was coiled among decorative plants at the main gate when the team reached the airport. “We rescued the python within ten minutes,” Wankhade told TOI. “I have rescued pythons of similar size previously too,” he added.The brief rescue operation ended hours of tension for the airport staff. The reptile was safely transported and released into the Kondeshwar forest, away from human habitation.Meanwhile, Nilesh Kanchanpure of Wildlife Awareness Research and Rescue (WARR) Welfare Society said such sightings are common during monsoon as reptiles move out in search of dry ground and food. He urged citizens not to panic or harm wildlife. “If you spot any wild animal in your locality, immediately dial the 1926 forest department helpline. Trained rescuers will handle it safely,” Kanchanpure said.By dawn, operations at Amravati Airport were back to normal.
