For a wild animal in trouble in Chennai, whether a snake in the kitchen, an injured owl or a monkey raiding a terrace, the agency in charge is the Tamil Nadu Forest Department. Its 24×7 helpline is 1800 425 4409. For snakes specifically, the department’s NAAGAM app, launched on World Snake Day in July 2025, lets residents report a sighting so a trained rescuer can be sent, Adyar Times reported.
Calls spike every northeast monsoon. During Cyclone Nivar in November 2020, a ranger at the city’s wildlife headquarters said usual volumes of 30 to 40 calls a day jumped to 127 snake calls in a single day, DT Next reported. With the monsoon under way since 15 October 2026, here is who handles what and how to keep an animal safe until help arrives.
Who to call, by situation
| Situation | First contact |
|---|---|
| Snake inside a home or flat | NAAGAM app, or Forest Department helpline 1800 425 4409 |
| Snake bite | 108 ambulance, then the nearest government hospital |
| Injured or trapped wild bird, monkey, turtle or other animal | Forest Department helpline |
| Animal stuck in a well, drain or high place | Fire and Rescue Services on 101, who often call in a rescuer |
| Injured dog, cat or cattle | Animal welfare groups such as the Blue Cross of India, Alwarpet |
| Wild animal being sold, caged or harmed | Forest Department helpline |
Fire stations do far more snake work than most people realise. In a 2024 survey of 152 snake rescuers across Tamil Nadu, 63.2 percent said most of their calls reached them through the fire and rescue service, and 27.4 percent got calls directly from the public, according to a study in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. About half the rescuers were linked to the Forest Department.
Snakes: what the department does
When a snake is reported, a rescuer removes it and releases it away from homes. In August 2026, for example, the Guindy anti-poaching team recovered 19 cobra hatchlings and 39 hatched eggs from under the flooring of an unused building near Ethiraj College in Egmore, after a homeowner alerted the department. The snakes were released in a forest area in Chengalpattu, News Today reported.
The Union Health Ministry’s human-snake conflict guidelines describe rescue as a professional, high-risk job. They set out rules for rescuers: minimise harm, release non-venomous snakes within their home range and venomous ones in suitable habitat away from people, and never use a rescue permit for shows or stunts. For residents, the advice is simple:
- Do not try to catch or kill the snake. Snakes are protected under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
- Get people and pets out of the room, close the door and stuff a towel under it.
- Keep the snake in sight from a safe distance if it is outdoors, so the rescuer knows where to look.
- Photograph it from afar if you can. It helps the rescuer and, if anyone is bitten, the doctor.
The Chennai Snake Park in Guindy does not run a rescue service. Its 2024-25 report to the Central Zoo Authority records no wild rescues for the year. Its listed number, 044 2235 3623 on the CZA sheet, is useful for identification questions.
Birds, monkeys and other animals
Birds. Fledglings that fall from nests in the monsoon are often fine if put back in a shaded bush, since parents keep feeding them. A bird that is bleeding, tangled in kite string or cannot stand needs help. Place it in a ventilated cardboard box with a cloth, keep it dark and quiet, and do not force water or food into its beak. Then call the helpline.
Monkeys. Bonnet macaques turn up in Alwarpet, Adyar, Guindy and the IIT Madras area. In 2021 the Chennai division trapped three of five monkeys troubling Abiramapuram residents. Staff told Mylapore Times that non-urgent calls could take two to three days because of limited resources. Do not feed monkeys, do not make eye contact, and keep food and waste indoors.
Turtles, tortoises and others. Star tortoises, pond turtles, monitor lizards, palm civets and owls all turn up in gardens. If one is not injured, leave it alone and keep dogs away. Picking up a star tortoise to keep is an offence.
Older numbers you may come across
Older lists circulating online give landline numbers for the Guindy range office (044 2230 1328) and the Wildlife Warden’s office (044 2432 1471), as on the IIT Madras Prakriti helpline page. A Forest Department line, 044 2220 0335, was given to Alwarpet residents in 2021. These may still work, but office numbers change, so treat the statewide helpline and the app as your first call.
Write the helpline into your phone now, and ask your apartment association to put it on the notice board beside the lift.
Quick answers
What is the Tamil Nadu Forest Department helpline?
1800 425 4409, listed by the department as a 24×7 line.
Is snake rescue free?
Forest Department and fire service rescues are public services. Ask before engaging any private rescuer.
Can I keep a rescued bird or monkey until it recovers?
No. Wild animals must be handed to the Forest Department. Keeping one without permission is an offence.
Who handles a snake bite?
Call 108 and go to a government hospital. Antivenom is given there free.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Organisation and helpline (Tamil Nadu Forest Department)
- Guidelines for Mitigating Human-Snake Conflict (NCDC, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare)
- Tamil Nadu launches NAAGAM app on World Snake Day (Adyar Times, July 2025)
- Chennai Snake Park zoo information sheet (Central Zoo Authority)
- Wildlife helpline (Prakriti, IIT Madras)
- Rescue calls flood wildlife HQs as snakes slither into homes (DT Next, November 2020)
- Some monkeys who bothered Alwarpet residents trapped (Mylapore Times, February 2021)
- Challenges in rescuing snakes in Tamil Nadu (PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2024)
- 19 cobra hatchlings rescued near Egmore (News Today, August 2026)
