“I confronted the snake charmer when I spotted him at the market. When I questioned him, he left the snake basket and fled,” said Gautam Grover of Animal Saviour. Among the rescued snakes, three - a Red Sand Boa, a Royal Diadem Snake and a Rat Snake - were non-poisonous. Two cobras were also seized. The snakes have been handed over to NGO Wildlife SOS and will be released in the wild after treatment.

Snake charmers are banned under the Wildlife Act. If caught, they face a maximum imprisonment of six years or a fine of Rs 25,000 or both. “Last month, I caught another snake charmer at D-block in Vasant Vihar,” added Grover.

Snake charmers pull out their venom sacks, rendering the snakes defenceless. The rough treatment of the snake further dehydrates them and they hardly survive for a month. Delhi had a few permanent snake charmer settlements, although lately with wildlife NGOs cracking the whip, many have moved out.