Shahjahanpur: A rare snake, red coral kukri (Oligodon Kheriensis) was rediscovered in Dudhwa National Park after 85 years. The discovery was made by a team of frontline staff of the park while patrolling with M-STrIPES mobile application in Sonaripur range. The team sighted the rare snake on the railway track near Sonaripur station, which is situated in the core area of Dudhwa National Park.The red coral kukri was first discovered in Lakhimpur Kheri district in 1936. It was named Oligodon Kheriensis because it was discovered in Kheri. Later, sightings were reported elsewhere a few times. It was last sighted in Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary few years ago.The staff who captured the picture of the rare snake on camera will be rewarded, according to Dudhwa Tiger Reserve director Ramesh Pandey. He said it was protected under the Wildlife Protection Act.Sharing the details about this snake, deputy director of Dudhwa Mahaveer Kaujalgi said, “ A team comprising Girdhari Lal, range officer in charge of South Sonaripur, wireless operator Ashok Kumar and forester Upendra Prakash sighted the rare snake. The railway track near Sonaripur station is non-operational at present. The picture of the snake was immediately captured by Ashok Kumar he and updated the information about the sighting in the M-STrIPES-based patrolling application as it is a routine practice in Dudhwa to record the observation while on patrol duty. This discovery can be attributed to the new-found orientation of the field staff to record observations in the form of photography, maintain observation and update with pictures on WhatsApp to higher officials.”Pandey told TOI, “This snake was first sighted in North Kheri forest division and named after Kheri district. It has a patternless bright coral red body and is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act. It was also sighted in Katarniaghat a few years ago. However, this is the first sighting in Lakhimpur Kheri district and that too, after almost after 85 years.”According to information available, the red coral kukri is a nocturnal and semi-fossorial species which sometimes shows activity at day time. Its behavior is elusive and mostly inoffensive. On provocation, it throws its body into a loose coil and makes loops of forebody at some height from the ground. Its inflated neck can be seen at the same time as aggressive response which is followed by mock attacks. On catching such aggressive individuals, they can slit the skin of threatening animal from either side of head with sharp “kukri knife” shaped tooth.

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