Cobra rescued from house in West Champaran village

Bettiah: Panic gripped a family in Santpur Soharia village under Valmikinagar forest range of Valmiki Tiger Reserve after a 12-foot-long venomous cobra was found inside their bedroom on Saturday night.The snake was spotted at the residence of Kishor Kazi, prompting family members to immediately vacate the house in fear. They swiftly alerted the forest department.A trained snake rescue team reached the spot. The operation was carried out by Mukesh Kumar, project assistant at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), along with forest guard Sunil Kumar and other team members. After great effort, the team successfully rescued the cobra and later released it safely back into the forest.Valmikinagar forest range officer Satyam Kumar said such incidents are not uncommon due to the close proximity of human settlements to forest areas. He urged residents not to panic or attempt to harm wildlife in such situations.“People should ensure their own safety and immediately inform the forest department instead of attacking any wild animal,” he said.Wildlife expert Abhishek said cobra is considered one of the “big four” venomous snakes. It is the longest venomous snake in the world and can inject 400-600 mg of venom in a single bite. The venom contains powerful neurotoxins that directly attack the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), and is potent enough to kill an adult elephant within hours.