Mumbai: Cobra gives birth to 18 babies at rescuer’s home in Mulund

Amaan Khan with a snakelet

Here's a story of a cobra mother, who must be very tired right now. The cobra hatched 18 eggs on Friday night, two months after a 19-year-old wildlife rescuer and FYBCom student rescued her in Chembur.

The rescuer took the snake to his Mulund home, and realised she was pregnant, when she delivered 18 eggs at his residence the next day. He then continued to keep the eggs at his home after taking permission of the forest department. On Friday night, all 18 snake babies were born and released in the forest.

The wildlife rescuer has been identified as Amaan Khan, 19, who is resident of Gavan Pada, and has been rescuing wildlife animals for eight years. Khan is a FYBCom student from the University of Mumbai and has rescued more than 1,000 snakes and released them safely in the forest.

Speaking with mid-day, Khan said, "On May 14, I received a call from a local resident about a snake on the road in Chembur. I rushed to the spot with my tools and found a female cobra. On May 15, she delivered 18 eggs. I kept all the eggs in a properly ventilated box having a temperature of 28-32 degrees."

"On Friday, all the 18 eggs hatched. They are fit and fine, and I released them into the jungle. The snake babies eat their umbilical cord, and then can survive upto 15 days without food," he explained.

Khan is studying at Mumbai University, Kalina. He told mid-day, "I like to rescue snakes and I learned it from the television. I used to watch snake rescue shows. Many snakes have bit me, but they were not poisonous. I don't charge anything when I rescue snakes."

Khan also said, "In the monsoons, the snakes come out on the roads. They came out in search for food, as many places are waterlogged. Every snake is not dangerous and poisonous. If you find snakes in your area, don't kill them or try to catch them. Call 1926 for help."