Udupi: A viral video of a man, a snake rescuer by profession coming to the rescue of a cobra in Udupi came under the line of fire from netizens who alleged that the man was not well versed in the profession.
The man Gururaj Sanil has been in the profession for 30 years now. However, pained by the comments that he has been receiving on the social media Gururaj while speaking to Newskarnataka says that he is well aware of the tricks of the trade and he uses bare hands to catch a snake and has often been bitten in the process. He said that he had exercised adequate care not to hurt the snake.
Stating that he had received a complaint from a Udupi resident that a cobra, that had killed a hen and swallowed its eggs had been wandering in his residential premises for a week and hence had rushed to the snake’s rescue. The Cobra, a female one, however, started regurgitating the eggs at that moment causing people to believe that my rescue process was flawed.
Explaining the phenomenon, Gururaj said it was very common to find female cobra regurgitate especially when they sense danger. “After rescuing the snake I had taken it at home and later even fed it with a rat. I then left the snake into the wild at the Western Ghats”, he added.
Gururaj also said that he has obtained permission from the Karnataka Forest Department to rescue snakes. Since 30 years Gururaj has rescued several thousands of snakes.
Sanil has written four books on snakes, mainly “Haavu Naavu” and “Devara Haavu” are very familiar.
