At about 12:30pm on the day of Swasthi, I was traveling by bus to meet with some of my college friends when my cellphone rang. It was my school teacher-friend Gudduda, beside teaching who also considers himself a naturalist. It all started as usual, "where are you, what are you doing?" Then the tension picked up when he said that he has captured a juvenile monocellete cobra in his school and want me to pick it up from his school. I said to myself, "what the hell!! It had to happen today??" I said him that I would arrange somebody. Then I tried everyone of my friends who had a motorbike and who were at home,
I tried atleast 7-8 people but everyone was negative. I was utterly dis-appointed. I called back Gudduda and requested him to thought out some way except killing the snake. He was also concerned. So he tried his friends but with futile result. We lost all hope, suddenly Niladri, one of my friends, called back. I didn't expect his call. As I know him, he was least bothered about wildlife and all that. May be it was our friendship which urged him to help. But whatever it was, was a gift for us. I talked with him and told him to pick up the snake from Gudduda's school and deliver it in my room. All this happened when I was in the bus and to make them agree I was literally yelling on the phone. Suddenly I realized that every single one in the bus was looking at me. I restored myself and sit calmly. After about 45minutes they called and informed me of the safe deposition of the snake in my room.
The next day when I returned home, the first thing I did was to run to my room o checkout the little fella. I found it inside my terrarium, sealed in a plastic jar. When I picked it up it was quick to response. It striked the jar wall with such ferocity which clearly tells that, "I may be small but don't fool around with me". It was a small snake only 8"-10" long and like every juvenile snake, it had brilliant sharp markings. I kept it with me for 2 days to watch various behavioral changes.
Then came the time of releasing. On the day of Navami I decided to free it. It was a sunny morning. I set out with it to the release site but on the way I witnessed another unfortunate incident. A bus had run down 2 people. There was agitated people everywhere but I could not figure out the condition of the two people. So I decided to move forward.
At the release site, I choose a spot and bring out the jar of snake. As soon as I took it out, it was jumping with joy seeing the daylight and open field. I had decided to take some snaps after I release it. So I prepared my camera and released it. The snake was too busy to escape. I could not even get a single shot as I wanted. Previously when I had released the viper, it had hold its ground. I was not even able to move it with a stick. But the case is totally opposite with the cobra. The snake just would not stop for a moment. It took a great deal of time and effort even to get a few shots. Then I realized, I've got a visitor. A boy of 17-18 years age was watching me. I became worried for the snake. He could kill the snake easily after I leave. Suddenly an idea striked my head.
I started conversing with the boy. Though the area I choose was far from human homes, I found out the boy was a local resident. At first he thought I was trying to capture it but it didn't took him long to realize the case. He become anxious. So I started to talk with him about the necessity of snakes. I talked about conservation, local snake species, the society we formed, ecology, food-chain and everything else. The basic Idea was to give the snake enough time to escape in the swamp. I almost gave him a long half an hour lecture. I concluded by giving him my number for any assistance regarding wildlife. The boy was too confused to say anything. Then I headed for home knowing that by our collective effort, a life was saved again.
Natural history
Monocellete Cobra or in general Indian Cobra is one of the four most medically important snakes of India. And it is one of the most abandon snake of India. Except arid regions and upper of 1800m above sea level, it inhabits every kind of habitat ranging from heavy jungle, open cultivated land, swamps and even human populated areas. This broad range of habitat increases its conflict with human. Every year thousands of people die in rural India by the bite of Indian Cobra. Each full bite of it has enough venom to kill 12 adult human. But fortunately not every bite is fatal. The power of the bite depends upon many factors like amount of venom injected, physical condition of the victim, condition of the snake etc. The venom is neuro-toxin. It affects the nervous system but it also has some property of heamo-toxin. So the cumulative effect is the paralysis of respiratory system, red blood cells are destroyed and blood looses cloting property. The victim feels burning pain and the area oozes blood strained syrum. Head, neck, lips and eyelids droops. Breathing becomes difficult. The only way of treating is by anti-venom syrum which is available at hospitals. So if someone is bitten, he or she should be rushed to the nearest hospital without loosing any precious time.
Indian Cobra is a nocturnal snake means it is active during the night. But Indian Cobra prefers to hunt at dawn and dusk.It mainly feeds on rodents. By this way it supports the fight of farmers against rodents to a great extent. Other than eating lizards and fish, it also likes to eat eggs. One interesting thing is that it shows parental care. Either one of the parents guards the eggs, which varies from 12-22 eggs, until they hatch. The young snakes are poised with venom from birth and are much more dangerous than the adult as they are more fierce and ready to strike than the adults. Instead, adults are usually not aggressive and often very timid. But if threatened they will take the classical pose opening its hood, raising almost 1/3rd of its body above ground and swaying froward and backward. A loud hissing and flickering of tongue accompanies the pose.
