An approximately 11-foot Indian rock python was rescued without injury in Mumbai’s Kalanagar area on the morning of September 18, 2026, after a resident reported seeing it constricting a cat. The cat was found dead. The rescuer said the python would be released into natural habitat under Forest Department guidelines, but available coverage does not confirm that the release took place.
What happened near Kalanagar-BKC
At about 8:38 a.m. on September 18, a resident in Kalanagar, near Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), saw a python coiled around a cat and contacted Atul Kamble, a snake rescuer with NGO WAPRA. Mid-Day reported the incident and identified the snake as an Indian rock python measuring approximately 11 feet; that length is a reported estimate, not an independently documented measurement. Mid-Day’s account says Kamble alerted Forest Department Round Officer Deepak Gaikwad and the Thane-Mumbai Range Control Office before heading to the location.
“When we reached the location, the python had coiled itself around the cat and was constricting it. The cat was found dead,” Kamble told Mid-Day. Forest Department officials and Kamble rescued the python without injuring it, taking precautions because the incident was close to a residential area.
Rescue is confirmed; release was a plan
Kamble said the python would be released into its natural habitat in line with Forest Department guidelines and applicable regulations. The report describes that as the intended next step; it does not confirm a completed release or name a release site. Times of India also covered the incident that evening, attributing the event details to Mid-Day, so it is corroborating coverage rather than an independent account of every detail. Times of India’s report likewise says the snake was rescued without injury and was expected to be released under Forest Department guidance.
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What to do if you see a snake near your home
Coverage of this incident advises people to keep clear, avoid approaching or cornering a snake, and contact trained wildlife rescuers or the Forest Department. Do not try to handle or move the animal yourself. This is general safety guidance reported in connection with the incident, not a detailed official response protocol.
Kamble also advised residents to clear clutter and objects around homes that could provide hiding places. The report does not establish that clutter caused this particular encounter, so treat that as a general precaution rather than an explanation of why the python was there.
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