A 9-foot-long Cobra was recently rescued by forest officers in Karnataka’s Agumbe. A short video, shared by field director Ajay Giri, showed members of the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station (ARRS) arriving at the residence and rescuing the gigantic serpent which sought refuge inside a bed box kept atop an attic.
According to the post, the family reported the snake to ARRS after they saw it squeeze itself into the box. Soon after receiving the complaint, Giri and his group rushed to the scene. The snake was seen flicking its tongue. The two volunteers then prepared a bag and kept it out of the room.
On August 20, Mr Giri and his team rescued a 9-foot-long cobra from the pantry of a school. After inspection, they found the snake under a table, bagged it and then released it into the wild.
After rescuing the snake with the help of a long tong, they put it inside the bag.
“The snake was gently bagged. We conducted an onsite awareness program for the local community. Later, the snake was released into the wild in the presence of in-charge forest department officials,” read the post, which carried the video.
On his account, Ajay Giri often posts videos in which he is seen rescuing cobras and snakes from residential areas.
Several social media users reacted to the video and appreciated the ARRS’s “smooth and clean rescue.”
“Thank you for your efforts for one of the most misunderstood species!” read a comment.
“The handler is so calm,” said another person, appreciating the forest officer who executed the rescue operation.
“This might be a scary scene for home members, very well rescued,” read another remark.
On August 9, in another instance, they rescued a 12-foot-long snake that took refuge under the hood of a car in the Thattihalla area.
Earlier, an 11-foot-long King Cobra was rescued from a house in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district and released into the wild. The snake, weighing 6.7 kg, entered the house chasing a monitor lizard. Forest officials and snake rescuers safely captured and released the cobra into its natural habitat.
