Bhanjanagar: Forest department staff with the help of Snake Helpline members today rescued a huge more than 12-feet-long king cobra from a bamboo bush at Benakunda village under Mujagada range of North Ghumusur forest division in Ganjam district.
The sighting of the huge and highly venomous king cobra in the vicinity of the village over the past four days had caused panic among the villagers who had stopped going out of their homes in the night out of fear of getting bitten by the reptile which could be fatal.
As people sighted the huge snake at the bamboo bush near the canal in the afternoon today, they immediately informed the Forest department, reports said.
On being informed, former Forest Range Officer Anupam Banerjee, Snake Helpline members Sanjay Kumar Swain, and Kedarnath Mallik reached the spot and using their professional skill and equipment captured the reptile whose toxic bite is powerful enough to kill an elephant.
Later the captured king cobra which was put inside a sack was released safely in the Binjhagiri beat Kalakathi Mundia forest.
Never was a king cobra of such dimension sighted in the area, said a surprised former Forest Range Officer Banerjee. The species need to be protected, Banerjee added.
