Report by Akshya Rout; Jajpur: The forest officials rescued on Monday a 14  foot long male python from the village Balarampur  under Bairi forest range of Jajpur district.
Some locals spotted the python, when they were collecting mushrooms in the village and  informed the forest officials  and local snake man  Ashwani Sahoo about the presence of the python for which forest officials and snake man rushed to the village and rescued the python, said Sarat Chandra Sahoo the forest officer of Bairi forest range.

 After rescuing the python, the forest official released the python in the nearby Amiyajhara forest.  According to forest officer "It is not unusual to have such a large python in the villages near the forest as the forest is the home of hundreds of pythons".

 Pythons are normally not considered dangerous to humans, even though large specimens are powerful enough to kill an adult and attacks are occasionally reported.  The advent of rains has led to more frequent spotting of reptiles such as snakes of both venomous and non-venomous categories, added the forest officer.

 Some locals said that they have been getting far more calls of snake spotting in the monsoon reason, as their conventional underground hideouts get flooded with water.

"We are trying to raise awareness among villagers not to harm snakes and other reptiles if they happen to make an appearance in your neighbourhood. All creatures big and small are part of our ecosystem, and critical to the environment,'' said the forest officer.