Cobra bites Air Force officer, removed by wildlife NGO in Delhi

A cobra that was caught and released by members of a non government organisation Wildlife SOS in Rajokri, Delhi.

A cobra was caught and later released by members of a Delhi-based non government organisation Wildlife SOS this past Saturday in Rajokri, Delhi.

“Wildlife SOS responded to a distress call from Air Force Station in Rajokrion their wildlife helpline about a cobra being spotted on the premises. But before our team could get there, one of the Air Force officers attempted to catch the cobra and got bitten on his right index finger. The officer did not panic and tied a tourniquet around his finger to stop the poison from spreading in his body. He was immediately rushed to the hospital where the doctors treated him with anti-venom serum. His colleagues have informed us that he is doing much better now,’’ noted a release issued by Wildlife SOS.

The rescue team found the cobra in the station and removed it carefully.

The common cobra or ‘

Naja Naja’ is a venomous snake that uses its venom primarily to hunt its prey consisting of rats, mice or frogs.

Cobras bite only when confronted, cornered or threatened.

Geeta Seshamani, co-founder Wildlife SOS said: “Not all snakes found in Delhi are poisonous. It is very important that people understand the difference between a poisonous and a non-poisonous snake. They need to be informed and educated to be able to differentiate between cobra and krait (venomous) and rat snake and python (non-venomous). When you spot a snake, you could call Wildlife SOS Helpline 9871963535 and do not attempt to catch or kill the snake.’’