Snakes!

Today I got up at 5.30 am and took walk with a couple of local snake hunters.  They are approved by the powers that be to catch snakes and although I know very little about it, they apparently collect venom for anti venom.  They are licensed and have a strict protocol to follow - the big one is that they never kill the snakes.  They are captured and then released.  They are very protective of the snakes and go out of their way to ensure they live safely in the community.

We were out for about an hour this morning before we came across our first snake.  It was a very good introduction for me…

A baby Olive Keelback

We then walked another hour and a half or so before we came across our second snake.  And wow!  What a stunner!  This is one of India's four most venomous snakes and this was a beautiful example.

Spectacled Cobra in it's nest

One of the guides

Carrying it to somewhere safe to let go

The 'spectacles' that it takes it's name from

We let this big one go in a different location to where it was caught simply because there were a few local men watching as they caught it and the usual reaction to a snake in their field or surrounds is to kill it.  So it was carried some distance until we had no followers and in a quiet spot it was let go.

So even though we only saw 2 snakes, they were both incredible in their own ways.  I loved holding the little one.  It seemed quite calm and didn't struggle or complain at all, although I'm sure it was stressed to the max.  We let it go back where we found it and it went off like a robbers dog.  Faster then I could say 'good bye snake!'