Archive · 3 Oct 2026
At Least 20 Rescued Pythons Found Dead in Kozhikode Well
At least 20 rescued pythons were found dead in a well at a forest department office in Kozhikode.
The snakes had been rescued from different places in the district.
Staff checked the well after smelling something bad and also found some live pythons there.
Some sources said the snakes may have been kept together for nearly two weeks and that those underneath could have been crushed.
A forest official said the deaths may instead have been caused by an infection.
The official also said staff had been busy responding to a leopard in a nearby human settlement.
The exact cause of the deaths has not been confirmed.
No post-mortem report was available at the time of the report.
At least 20 rescued pythons were found dead in a well at the Forest and Wildlife Department’s Vanasree office premises in Mathottam, Kozhikode.
Department staff inspected the well after noticing a foul smell; some live pythons were found on top of the carcasses.
Sources alleged the snakes had been kept in the well for nearly two weeks and that overcrowding may have caused deaths.
A senior forest official denied negligence and said the pythons may have died from infection; the department had been occupied responding to a leopard in Nadapuram.
Officials said there was no confirmed cause of death and no post-mortem report was immediately available.
- Who
- At least 20 rescued pythons; Forest and Wildlife Department officials responded to the discovery.
- What
- The pythons were found dead in a well, with some live snakes also present.
- When
- The carcasses were removed earlier in the week; the report was dated October 3.
- Where
- The Vanasree office premises at Mathottam, Kozhikode, Kerala.
- Why
- The cause of death was not established. Sources alleged overcrowding, while a senior official said infection was a possible cause.
Sources alleging overcrowding
Forest official's response
Cause of the deaths
Sources alleging overcrowding
Sources alleged the snakes had been kept in the well for nearly two weeks and that pythons at the bottom may have died under the weight of others.
Forest official's response
A senior forest official denied negligence and said the pythons apparently died from infection; no cause had been officially confirmed.
Keeping rescued snakes in wells
Sources alleging overcrowding
Sources pointed to the well’s narrow opening and the alleged prolonged stay as factors in the deaths.
Forest official's response
The official said temporary keeping of rescued snakes in such wells was usual practice and that they were periodically moved for release in forests.
- Dead pythons
- At least 20
- Location
- A well at the Forest and Wildlife Department’s Vanasree office premises, Mathottam, Kozhikode
- Rescue source
- Various parts of Kozhikode district
- Reported holding period
- Sources alleged the snakes had been kept in the well for nearly two weeks
- Official's possible explanation
- Infection
- Confirmed cause
- No official finding was available; no post-mortem report was immediately available
- Species status
- The official said the Indian rock python is a Schedule I species under the Wildlife Protection Act