Mumbai: Cobra gives Andheri West residents midnight scare

Thirty-five-odd families in a society at Andheri West woke up in the middle of the night to the fright of their lives after one of them spotted a cobra in their house. The snake, a five-foot-long Indian Spectacled Cobra, had apparently been spotted in one of the houses of Sahil Co-operative society on Sunday afternoon as well. But, before the rescuers could reach the spot on Sunday, the snake had escaped through an exit in the bathroom.

Snake rescuer Prabhu Swami catches the cobra last night. Pic/Atul Kamble

The snake rescuers, Prabhu Swami and Kaushal Dubey, came again around midnight from Aarey Colony after one of the residents called them. Vikas Kiratkudve, one of the residents, said, "There was loud shouting in the compound and all of us came out to check. We immediately called the snake rescuers and they managed to catch it alive. Luckily, nothing happened to the society members as the snake us highly venomous and there are about 15 children who live here."

According to the rescuers, they have been getting repeated calls about spotting of snakes in the area and in the past have rescued 200-odd snakes from the area, also known as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Nagar. While leaving to release the snake, the rescuers advised the society members to ensure that their society is rat- and garbage-free.