Mumbai: Family on alert as snake inside hutment kills hen, bites 2 people

Savita and Shobha Jagtap, who survived the snakebite

A family living in a makeshift chawl in Ambedkar Nagar, Malad East, has had a nightmarish two weeks, thanks to a snake that has been moving around their hut. While two members of the family survived a near fatal snakebite due to timely medication, a hen from their poultry died last week. A snake rescuer, who was recently called to scan the home, has also met with zero success.

The family first became aware of the snake in their house on January 17, when Shobha Jagtap, 60, was mopping the floor. "I was cleaning my home at around 5.30 pm, when I felt a sting on my thumb. On close glance, I realised this was a snakebite," said Shobha. Without wasting any time, Shobha alerted her family, who then rushed her to the BMC-run Shatabdi Hospital, where she was administered an anti-venom shot.

As the family couldn't find any snake inside the home, they decided not to call for help. However, three days later, around 1.30 am, the family heard some commotion among their poultry, outside their home. The next day, one of their hens was found dead. After this incident, the Jagtaps were alarmed. However, despite a through search, they couldn't find anything.

The hutment in Ambedkar Nagar, Malad

The next incident took place on January 26, when Shobha's daughter Savita Jagtap, 23, was bitten on her leg while she was asleep. She too survived after medication. The family then approached Kaushal Dubey, a snake rescuer from Aarey Milk Colony. He too, was unable to find anything. "The area is a slum pocket with small huts that are made of mud. I noticed that a lot of these mud homes have holes in it, which is a good hiding place for snakes. We have advised the family to take necessary precautions," Dubey said.

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