Seven arrested while trying to sell Red Sand Boa snakes in Bangalore

The Bangalore City Police have arrested seven people for attempting to sell two rare Red Sand Boa snakes (Eryx johnii) for Rs. 1 crore in the city. Red Sand Boas fetch a huge amount in the illegal wildlife business due to the belief that it brings luck to its owner and the medicinal value of the snakes, a police official said.

The arrested persons were identified as Aamir, Nawaj, Akram, Tahir, Ismail, Sadiq and Arif. They were picked up from a house at Thanisandra on the basis of a tip-off. They were found to be in possession of two Red Sand Boas. The suspects themselves paid Rs. 10 lakh to snake charmers to find the snakes in a forest near Gauribidanur in Kolar district, police said.

The illicit operators had planned to make big money by selling the snakes in Bangalore, police said. Though believed to be a two headed snake – with a head on each end of its body – the tail end of the Red Sand Boa only resemblances a head and is part of the snake’s defense mechanism to escape predators and to prey on smaller reptiles and rodents. Despite its unique characteristics, the non-aggressive character of the Red Sand Boa makes it an easy catch for animal poachers. The non-venomous snake is protected under Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and is commonly found in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.