AJMER: Wildlife census in the district began on Sunday morning and teams of forest department went to about 150 water holes to identify animals in different regions. In the first six hours of the census, small animals including snakes and cobras were spotted, but no trace of panther is found in jungles. There is a possibility of panthers being in Jawaja, Pushkar and old Beawar forest regions. For the last four years, panthers have not been reported in the census, but there are reports of attacks by the beast in some regions.

As Hindus gear up to celebrate naag panchami on Thursday, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) today urged them to discourage atrocities against the reptile and report snake charmers to authorities.

"Naag panchami, held in the honour of serpent god Naag Devta, instead of paying tribute to the snakes, becomes a mockery. It is a torture for these fascinating reptiles," PETA India chief functionary Poorva Joshipura said.

Rockhampton: Australian residents fled their homes and sandbagged properties on Tuesday as a major town was threatened by a worsening flood disaster which unleashed a plague of snakes and crocodiles.

Tens of thousands of people in Rockhampton braced for complete isolation as waters which have closed the town

Hazaribagh, Dec. 12: The district

Ananya Dutta

KOLKATA: A rare species of snake, spotted only twice in the past, was discovered at a home in north Bengal's Jalpaiguri town, West Bengal Forest Department officials told The Hindu on Thursday.

Kumar Manish | TNN

Ahmedabad: How about watching an anaconda live that too from a three to four metre distance? Kamla Nehru Zoological Garden at Kankaria will soon get a pair of anacondas

Juliette Jowit and Ashleigh Searle

Study suspects sharp reduction in snake numbers in a variety of habitats in five countries is caused by habitat loss and prey.