Odisha forest officials rescue cobra, python in Bhitarkanika villages

Forest officials in Odisha’s Kendrapara district Friday rescued two poisonous snakes that had strayed into houses in villages located within the Bhitarkanika National Park.

While a five-foot-long monocled cobra was rescued from the backyard of a house in Khamarasahi village, a nine-foot-long python was rescued at Righagada village by forest personnel, said a forest official.

After locals spotted the poisonous snakes, they informed the forest officials, who did not cause any harm to the reptiles. After being rescued, both the monocled cobra and python were released into the mangrove forest, the safe habitat of the snakes, he said.

Both snakes are highly poisonous species. Unless provoked, these species never attack humans. On occasions, however, they attack humans in self-defence, said f