Foresters rescue 5-foot-long black cobra from Gurugram village

GURUGRAM: A five-foot-long Indian cobra was rescued by the forest department on Friday evening from a residential building in Kaliawas village. The snake, estimated to be a 10-year-old male, was found in good health and released back to its natural habitat.
“We got a call from a resident of Kaliawas about a black cobra in his house. It was difficult to believe as black cobra is very rare in this area. However, we immediately rushed to the spot. The snake was hiding behind a cupboard. We first put all the stuff in the house out and then rescued the snake,” said Anil Gandas, wildlife conservationist and founder president of NGO Environment and Wildlife Society.

Gandas said that Indian cobras become active in summer. “Generally, the snake preys on rats at night. The snake might have got stuck inside the house. Generally, cobras become active in summers. They seldom bite but people sometimes get bitten when they step on the snake or try to catch it,” he said.

According to Gandas, he has rescued only 10 black-coloured Indian cobras in the region in the past eight years. “Generally, spectacled cobra are found in the area,” he said.

Locally known as Kala Naag, the species is protected under Wildlife Protection Act, Schedule I.