Noida: Two Booked for Abusing Indian Python Following PETA India’s Intervention

Acting on a video depicting the abuse of an Indian Python for entertainment, a species protected under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act (WPA), 1972, PETA India collaborated with the Gautam Buddh Nagar Forest Division for a preliminary offence report (POR) to be registered. The python has now been rescued and safely released back into the wild. 

The incident occurred during an event in ATS HomeKraft Happy Trails Society, Sector 10, Greater Noida – 201 318 on 6 October. During it, the python’s head was forced between the teeth of an accused’s mouth, clamping the snake’s jaw between his teeth. The POR was registered against two individuals under sections 9, 39, 48, 49 and 51 of the WPA, 1972. The offence is non-bailable and punishable with a jail term of at least three years, which may extend to seven years, and a fine of at least ₹25,000.   

Snakes are trapped and taken from their natural habitats to be used for entertainment and kept as “pets,” disregarding the WPA, 1972. Their teeth are often violently yanked out and their venom glands emptied for species who are venomous. In many cases, their mouths are sewn shut, leaving only a tiny gap into which liquid can be poured. Captured snakes do not live very long, and their death is slow and painful.