For the employees of the Kendriya Bhandar, the grocery store located in the Central Secretariat premises, Thursday afternoon turned out to be an adventurous day as they came face-to-face with a big snake.

A 5-foot-long Black-headed royal snake was coiled snugly on a shelf behind a stack of sealed bhujia packets. On spotting the snake, the staff immediately swung into action by alerting the security personnel stationed in the premises, who contacted Wildlife SOS’s 24×7 emergency helpline number.

The rescue team of the NGO swiftly reached the location with the necessary rescue gear. Close inspection of the reptile revealed that it was an adult Black-headed royal snake as it had the distinct irregular black markings on the head and body.

The team rescued the snake safely and transferred it into a snake bag. At present it is under the NGO’s care and will soon be released back into the wild.

Sharing details about the snake, Wasim Akram, Deputy Director-Special Projects, Wildlife SOS said: “The Black-headed royal snake is an adaptable species and being a non-venomous reptile, they are harmless. This species is commonly found in Delhi-NCR and they mostly feed on rodents, lizards, birds and even small mammals.”

The Black-headed royal snake is protected under Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and can grow up to 7 feet in length. When threatened they coil up and hiss loudly as a defence mechanism, but do not bite in retaliation. They are excellent climbers and can often be spotted on trees, low bushes and crevices.

Kartick Satyanarayan, the NGO’s CEO thanked the staff at the Secretariat Building for alerting them and keeping a watch until the arrival of the rescue team.