Cobra Trapped in Net Completely Calm Second It Realizes Humans Are Helping
Not every animal story is entirely warm and snuggly. But certain tales of animal rescue can tug at the heartstrings regardless.
You may not associate the words “empathy” or “understanding” with reptiles like snakes and lizards, for example. But a recent Newsflare video making the rounds on social media might prove you wrong.
The nearly three-minute snippet shows a king cobra being rescued. The unfortunate creature had become hopelessly caught in a net.
Maybe that description alone is enough to inspire a shudder. But the snake’s apparent gratitude is prompting more sympathetic reactions, too.
According to Dailymotion, the serpent was discovered in the Bhadrak District of Odisha. That’s a state on the Bay of Bengal, in eastern India.
The video shows villagers approaching the snake very carefully. It’s concealed underneath some dense brush and foliage.
Dailymotion and Newsflare explain that expert snake wrangler Mirza Arif lifted the tangled snake with a special hook. Anxious locals scrambled out of the way as he carried it to an open clearing.
Arif placed the snake on the hard-packed dirt, where it wriggled around helplessly. At first, it looked pretty imposing, fanning its hood and flashing its venomous fangs.
Mentalfloss.com notes that these are concerning behaviors, without a doubt.
When a king cobra feels threatened, it often spreads its hood to make itself look larger. It may also raise its head up to six feet off the ground, and even emit a menacing growl-like noise.
In the face of such warnings, many potential foes simply flee the area. After all, Mentalfloss explains, a single king cobra bite can actually kill an elephant in just a few hours.
But the website also notes that king cobras build comfy nests to care for their young. No other snake on the planet does this.
It’s the briefest glimpse into nurturing, supportive tendencies we don’t normally associate with these reptiles. And sure enough, this stranded snake in the net had simply grown incredibly thirsty.
So before cutting away the snarled enclosure, Arif uncapped a bottle of water. Then he tilted the container just above the snake’s head.
And in a stunning display, the snake became instantly docile and opened its mouth. Arif dispensed a few drops of refreshing liquid, and the creature gulped it right down.
In fact, this supposedly scary serpent seemed to be downright thankful. It even held still and opened its mouth again to receive a few more sips.
Then Arif carefully trimmed the netting away, and coaxed the nervous critter into a jar. Dailymotion reports that the snake received some follow-up care, and was later released back into its natural habitat.
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