Mumbai: At just 21, Sahiba is balancing two worlds that rarely intersect: wildlife rescue and acting. The Nagpur-born performer, who recently moved to Mumbai, has already rescued more than 3,000 snakes, including some of the most venomous species in India. Now, she is attempting to build a career in entertainment while continuing her mission to protect wildlife.
Speaking in an exclusive conversation with News9Live’s Bharati K Dubey, Sahiba revealed that her journey as a rescuer began long before she stepped into the entertainment industry.
“I’m an animal rescuer and I run a foundation. So far, I have rescued more than 3000 snakes. I’m 21 years old. I am an actor as well. I’m from Nagpur and I’ve moved to Mumbai 2-3 months ago,” she said.
Her interest in wildlife conservation came from personal experiences growing up in her village. Witnessing snakes being killed by locals left a deep impression on her. “My brothers also rescue animals. I got inspired by them when I was seventeen. In my village, people used to kill snakes. A brother of mine had once killed a snake and tied it on his vehicle and roamed around the village. Seeing all of that made me want to rescue snakes,” she explained.
Saving a rat snake without any formal training
Sahiba’s first rescue happened when she had no formal training. It involved a non-venomous rat snake found near agricultural farms in Amravati.
“The first snake I rescued was rat snake which is not a venomous snake. My elder brother told me that these are not venomous and gave me some information about them. I went and picked the rat snake up. I didn’t have any training then but I managed. Then I got proper training in snake rescuing,” she said.
Over time, she has handled several dangerous species, including the king cobra. According to Sahiba, she may be the first woman in India to rescue one.
“I rescue snakes. I’m the first girl in India to rescue King cobra. It’s found Odisha. I have rescued many of the most venomous snakes.”
However, the work has not been without risk. She once suffered a snake bite while rescuing a spectacled cobra. She revealed, “It was a Spectacled Cobra. It bit me on the right hand finger. I had 12-13 stitches. I still have that mark. I was admitted to a hospital in Nagpur for three days. I took antibiotics, anti venom for recovery. The snake didn’t inject too much poison.”
Sahiba balances wildlife rescue and acting dreams
Despite such experiences, Sahiba continues her rescue work while pursuing acting. She has completed a six-month course at Roshan Taneja Acting School, appeared in music albums for T-Series and worked on projects for Balaji ALT.
Now based in Mumbai, she says she regularly receives calls to rescue animals from areas like Aarey Colony in Goregaon. “As an actor, I’m a beginner. So, I’ve been auditioning,” she said, adding that she will soon begin shooting for a web series.