Udupi student rescues snake, flags forest dept helpline failure in letter to CM
1
2
Udupi: A class 10 student from Udupi is winning hearts for bravely rescuing a snake that entered his home at Kukkikatte, despite not knowing whether it was venomous or not. However, what followed left him disappointed: a complete lack of response from the forest department's wildlife helpline.
Deepesh Deepak Shenoy, 14, a student of TA Pai English Medium High School, Kunjibettu, and a member of the Bharat Scouts and Guides (Udupi unit), said the incident took place on June 8 at around 2.24pm, at his residence in Udupi. Deepesh is the son Deepak Shenoy, a finance consultant and Deepa, a tax consultant.
In an email addressed to the chief minister, forest minister, and deputy conservator of forests (DCF), Deepesh recounted how he drew on his training as a Scout to respond calmly when a small snake slithered into his house, causing panic among his elderly grandparents, mother, his younger brother and a cousin.
"I kept a cool head and, using the guidance I received as a Scout, carefully caught the snake and secured it in a ventilated box, ensuring safety for both my family and the animal," he said.
Deepesh, with the help of his father, immediately contacted the wildlife helpline (1926) and was redirected to the local range office. Despite repeated calls, sharing photographs and details, and highlighting the risk to senior citizens in the home, no official assistance was provided, he alleged.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025
Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List
Undo
Frustrated, he tried to lodge a complaint via the helpline, but it was refused. "This total breakdown in response has shaken our faith in the department responsible for safeguarding both people and wildlife. If this is the norm, citizens may hesitate to seek help in such situations, potentially leading to fatal consequences," he warned.
By late afternoon, with no support arriving, Deepesh took it upon himself to release the snake safely after confirming its identity through a local wildlife expert. It was a buff striped keelback, a non-venomous species.
Deepesh has now sought an inquiry into the negligence of the concerned forest department officials, urging authorities to ensure that wildlife rescue protocols and helplines function effectively during emergencies.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
28 minutes ago
- Time of India
UP shocker: 2 judo coaches sentenced in separate child sexual assault cases; national-level judoka, 12-year-old boy among victims
MEERUT/BAREILLY: Courts in Meerut and Moradabad sentenced two judo coaches to prison for sexually assaulting minor trainees, including a national-level judoka, in separate incidents that took place in 2017 and 2023. Manish alias Max, 26, received a life sentence for raping a 10-year-old national judo player in Meerut, special public prosecutor Kuldeep Mohan said. The additional district judge Sangeeta, who goes by her first name, also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on him. Special public prosecutor Avkash Jain told TOI, "The convict violated the girl in the guard room while her brother and fellow players were asked to practise. After the crime, the minor bled profusely, and Max, in a cynical attempt to conceal his crime, staged a drama; he told the minor's parents that she sustained a severe injury during practice." He added, "Believing the convict's theory, the minor was rushed to a medical facility and underwent treatment in three different hospitals, and after eight days, she secretly wrote her ordeal on a paper, which somehow reached her father. Upon this, an FIR was lodged at Kankar Khera police station under relevant sections of IPC and Pocso Act in June 2023." In a separate case, special Pocso judge Ghanendra Kumar sentenced Mohd Qasim Ali, 46, to 15 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old boy in Moradabad. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Perdagangkan CFD Emas dengan Broker Tepercaya IC Markets Mendaftar Undo The convict was also fined Rs 60,000 and taken into judicial custody immediately after the court order. Additional district govt counsel Manoj Gupta said, "The incident occurred on Sept 9, 2017, when the boy was in his school where the convict was appointed as judo coach. Mohd Qasim took the boy to the forest on the pretext of judo training, where he forcefully sodomised him. The boy narrated his ordeal to his family about the incident upon returning home. Subsequently, an FIR against the convict was registered at Katghar police station under the sections of sodomy and the Pocso Act. " He added, "The submitted medical examination report to the court confirmed the assault. Additionally, the statement of the survivor and the circumstantial evidence helped in nailing the accused." The chargesheet was submitted in court, and the judge expedited the trial. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court found Ali guilty and ordered his immediate custody. (The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
Russia's attack on Kyiv kills five, sparks fires, Ukraine says
Russian drone and missile attacks in and around Kyiv overnight killed five people, injured scores, sparked fires in residential areas and damaged an entrance to a metro station that serves as a bomb shelter, Ukrainian officials said on Monday. "The Russians' style is unchanged - to hit where there may be people," Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said on the Telegram messaging app. "Residential buildings, exits from shelters - this is the Russian style." Russia has not commented on the strikes. Both sides deny targeting civilians in the war that Russia launched in February 2022, but thousands of civilians have been killed in the conflict - the vast majority of them Ukrainian. At least four people were killed in Kyiv's busy Shevchenkivskyi district where the entire entrance of a residential high-rise building was destroyed, Ukraine's Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on Telegram. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Semua yang Perlu Anda Ketahui Tentang Limfoma Limfoma Pelajari "There are still people under the rubble," Klymenko said. The attack caused damage in six of the city's 10 districts, including in several apartment buildings, and wounded at least 10 people, Klymenko said. Live Events A 68-year-old woman was killed and at least eight people were injured in the attack on the broader Kyiv region that surrounds the Ukrainian capital, its governor Mykola Kalashnik said on Telegram. Photos posted by Ukraine's State Emergency Service showed rescuers leading people to safety from several buildings and structures on fire in the dark. The Service said a pregnant woman was among those rescued. An exit to the metro station in Kyiv's Sviatoshynskyi district was also damaged, as well as an adjacent bus stop, Kyiv's officials said. Kyiv's deep metro stations have been used throughout the war as some of the city's safest bomb shelters. Russia's deadliest attack on Kyiv last week with hundreds of drones killed 28 people and injured more than 150, with Ukrainian officials saying that nearly 30 sites were hit during the multi-wave attack.
Time of India
43 minutes ago
- Time of India
Knives out for kulfi, cash, phone: Trio robs Delhi ice cream parlour; robbers flee
NEW DELHI: Three unidentified masked men looted an ice cream parlour in Delhi's Keshavpuram area, escaping with cash, mobile phones, and several packets of ice cream and kulfi, police said on Sunday. The robbery took place around 11pm on Saturday at a shop on Talab Road. According to police, the incident was captured on CCTV, and multiple teams have been formed to identify and apprehend the accused. "Two men were holding knives and wearing face masks. They came on a motorcycle and barged into our parlour. They threatened us, forcing my brother to sit in a corner while one was guarding, another looted everything -- cash, mobile phones and ice creams," said Narender, the owner of ice cream parlour. CCTV footage from the scene shows the trio stuffing bags with frozen items within seconds before escaping on the same motorcycle. The footage is under review, and efforts are under way to identify the accused. The shop owner estimated the total loss, including stolen stock, at Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000. In a separate incident, an ice cream vendor was attacked and robbed near Shiv Mandir in Subhash Place around 12:30am on the night of June 21–22. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The victim, Roop Lal Prasad (45), was returning home after his day's work when two individuals approached him. One grabbed him from behind while the other assaulted him and snatched his mobile phone and Rs 520 in cash. Prasad fell and suffered a head injury. A PCR call was received at the Netaji Subhash Place (NSP) Police Station, and one of the suspects was caught at the scene by bystanders, police added. "While one of the accused managed to flee, the other was overpowered by locals and handed over to police," said a police officer. The arrested accused has been identified as 18-year-old Suraj, a resident of Shakarpur, police said. The stolen cash was recovered from his possession, and efforts are ongoing to trace and arrest his associate, they added.
