Bhubaneswar, August 17: A man in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha had a narrow escape when a cobra entered his mud house and lay beside him under a mosquito net. The incident took place at Dahisahi village under the Dukhra forest division of Similipal Tiger Reserve early on Saturday morning.
According to reports, the reptile crawled inside the mosquito net and settled next to the sleeping house owner without showing aggression. On waking up to the startling sight, the man remained calm and asked a family member to alert the forest department.
The rescue team contacted trained snake handler Krishna Gochhayat, who rushed to the spot. On arrival, he found the cobra and the man lying side by side. Giving priority to human safety, he first evacuated the house owner before carefully catching the snake.
Forest officials said recent heavy rainfall has forced snakes to leave their natural habitats in search of safer ground. Though cobras generally avoid human interaction, they may strike in self-defence if threatened.
Both the man and the snake were rescued safely, averting what could have been a dangerous situation.
