I've been rescuing snakes and other animals for a long time now, and I'm very well aware of the species found in my area. Nonetheless, my last rescue really surprised me.

Two days ago, somewhere around 7 PM or half past, I received a rescue call from a nearby area where I had rescued common trinkets twice before. The person said it was the same snake I had rescued previously, so I was sure it was a trinket.

When I saw the snake, though, I couldn’t believe my eyes: it was a Montane trinket snake, Coelognathus helena helena. I was never so surprised before while on a rescue, and for a minute I just stood there, wondering how it was possible, since these wild siblings of common trinkets prefer staying in the wild.

But it was real. It was a semi-adult Montane trinket, around 60-70 cms. I had to travel 30 miles to the jungle to release this snake where it belongs. The only places where I have encountered these snakes are the jungles in the outskirts of my cities, and I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would get this snake on a rescue in my urban area -- but sometimes there are unexpected surprises in life.

Photo: Riyaz Khoja