Kendrapara: The inhabitants of Koro in Kendrapara block panicked Tuesday after they came across cobra hatchlings moving on the local Jagannath temple premises.
The priest first came across the reptiles and informed Surendra Kumar Jena, secretary of the temple trust board.
After a few minutes, locals gathered at the spot and Jena phoned a snake helpline member of Bagada.
The snake catcher rescued 17 cobra hatchlings which were 3 to 3.5 ft long with the help of locals.
The temple and its nearby areas were flooded and water had entered snake holes. As a result, the snakes came out and were found in a crack on the temple’s wall.
The rescued cobras were later released in the forest at Nandi Hill, located behind Olasuni.
The fear of snakebites is so great here that people are now afraid to sleep at night with snakes of all sizes moving around houses. Rainwater entered the holes of snakes and forced hundreds of reptiles to come out in search of higher ground.
Kailash Pradhan, a resident of Trilochanapur village, who was going to check his farm Tuesday, came across three snakes on his way. A viper chased him while he was entering his submerged field. The locals here have killed half a dozen snakes so far.
PNN
