Just a few hours prior to a very popular half-marathon (21 km) race at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) on Sunday, (September 30) morning, there was a telephone call from the BKC police to Manav Abhyas Sangh, an animal rescue organization which its headquarters in Chembur.

Atul Arshu Kamble, snake catcher, who prefers to be known by the moniker 'Sarpa Mitra' (friend of snakes) recalled, "It was 1.30 am (Sunday morning) when the police called. They know us as a credible, reputed animal rescue centre. I was informed that a snake has been spotted on a road in BKC. Apparently, a police platoon had spotted a snake against a road divider." The snake was 200m or less from the start line of the long distance running event, which saw nearly 17,000 runners in three different distance categories.