Odisha: 30 baby cobras rescued from beneath wood-apple tree, safely released into forest
Mayurbhanj, June 27
In a significant wildlife rescue operation, at least 30 baby cobras were safely rescued from beneath a wood-apple tree near a residence in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha on Saturday and later released into a nearby forest by a snake rescue team.
The incident occured when a resident of Athshil village spotted a large adult cobra coming out from near a wood-apple (bael) tree close to a house. The villager also noticed what appeared to be eggs near the tree and immediately alerted the local snake helpline.
Following the alert, rescuer Krushna Chandra Gochhayat from the Forest Department reached the spot and conducted a careful inspection. After digging around the area beneath the tree, he discovered a nest containing newly hatched baby cobras.
Krushna said he received the call around 2:00 PM and immediately reached the location.
"I rescue animals and have received professional training from the forest department. At around 2:00 PM today, I received a call. They said, 'Please come and check; a large cobra has come out from under our bael (wood-apple) tree and moved away.'"
Providing further details of the rescue operation, he said that the discovery happened after he carefully inspected the area beneath the tree following the initial alert.
"When I arrived and inspected the area under the tree, I noticed some broken bricks. I started digging there and discovered a group of baby cobras--about 25 to 30 of them. I rescued all of them and released them into the nearby forest," he said.
"The mother snake had already left. These babies had just hatched from their eggs, so they didn't follow the mother and stayed behind. I safely removed them and released them into the forest," Krushna said.
All the venomous baby snakes were carefully rescued one by one to ensure the safety of both villagers and the reptiles. The rescued snakes were later released into a nearby forest.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This is wonderful! 🙏 But I wonder if the mother cobra will come back looking for her babies? Snakes have strong maternal instincts. Also, the villager did the right thing by not panicking and calling the helpline. We need more awareness about coexisting with wildlife, especially in rural areas.
Beautiful story! In our culture, the bael tree is sacred and associated with Lord Shiva, so it's fitting that these cobras found sanctuary beneath it. The forest department's quick action is commendable. Just one suggestion: they should have released the babies near the same spot so the mother might find them. Still, well done! 🐍✨
Impressive rescue coordination! I visited Odisha last year and was amazed by the biodiversity. It's great to see local authorities handling venomous snakes safely. The villager's quick thinking and the rescuer's training are commendable. Cobras are crucial for controlling rodent populations, so this is a win-win for everyone.
Very happy to see this! 😊 But I have a small concern: 30 baby cobras released in one spot might attract predators or create a local concentration. Perhaps the forest department could monitor the area. Still, kudos to Krushna ji for his dedication—rescuing venomous snakes requires immense courage and skill! 👏
This is so wholesome! 🥹 As someone who grew up in rural India, I've seen how people often kill snakes out of fear. It's amazing that this villager called the helpline instead. The forest department's training programs are clearly
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