Cobra with controller for Xbox, courtesy Amazon

BENGALURU: A resident of Sarjapur Road in Bengaluru, who was eagerly waiting for an Xbox controller from e-commerce platform Amazon, was shocked to find a live spectacled cobra-a highly venomous species unique to Karnataka-stuck to the packaging tape of the consignment on Sunday.

Tanvi (name changed) was relieved that the snake was firmly taped and couldn't move and hence couldn't cause any harm.

While Amazon is investigating the matter, the packet originated in Delhi before being shipped to Bengaluru and it is being checked how and where the snake got taped to the packet. Despite potential danger, Amazon's customer support kept them on hold for over two hours, forcing them to handle the situation on their own in the middle of night. Although Tanvi received full refund from Amazon, she expressed dissatisfaction: "... This is clearly a safety breach caused by Amazon's negligence and their poor transportation/warehousing hygiene and supervision."