Overview
- Animal-welfare volunteers from the Greater Hyderabad Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals tracked a visiting Visakhapatnam dance troupe for five days after reports that it was using a live snake in performances.
- After an earlier attempt in Kondapur failed when the alleged handler fled, GHSPCA and Madhuranagar police intercepted the group at a Ganesh immersion procession on September 20, 2026, and detained the alleged handler.
- Officers and volunteers rescued an Indian rock python, a species protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and a broiler chicken that GHSPCA said had been mistreated during the street performance.
- Veterinary examination found an infection in the python’s oral cavity and teeth and the animal is under treatment with release into the wild to follow only after recovery and formal clearance from wildlife authorities.
- GHSPCA has urged officials to pursue legal action under wildlife law and asked the public to report or boycott performances that display or mistreat wild animals, a step that could increase enforcement and reduce such shows.