Puri/Bhadrak: Snake helpline members Tuesday rescued as more cobra hatchlings from the houses of villagers in Puri and Bhadrak and Kendrapra districts.
In the first case, 12 cobra hatchlings were rescued from the house of Anadi Sahu in Suhagpur village near Pipili in Puri district. Sahu spotted them as he opened his storeroom and alerted the snake helpline. Helpline specialist Sushant Kumar Behera went there and rescued the cobras.
The snakes were later released in the forest. Behera also found egg cells of snakes there.
Another set of 19 cobras were rescued from the house of Santosh Kumar Pani at Nalanga village in Bhadrak district. Some 20 cobra eggs were also found at the house.
Moreover, around 20 cobras were rescued from the house of a village at Narilo village under Patkura police limits in Kendrapara district.
According to reports, some hatchlings were seen playing near the house of a villager Ranjan Swain. Later, Swain alerted the snake rescue officials who reached the spot and rescued 20 hatchlings.
Similarly, more than 10 cobra hatchlings were found in the house of one Kalpataru Nayak at Begunia village under Tirtol block in Jagatsinghpur district. Three of the five snakes were reportedly beaten to death by locals.
More cobra hatchlings are suspected to have been holed up in the house.
The incidents come soon after the rescue of around 150 cobras and their hatchlings at two places in Dhamanagar and Kantabani areas of Bhadrak district this week.
Unearthing of several cobra nests has led to panic among the rural residents.
Due to superstitious beliefs or viewing of TV serials and movies about ‘Naagins’, locals fear the snakes might be on the prowl in the region, and people as a whole remained in a state of fear.
PNN
