Last Friday afternoon, I was busy working out of my guesthouse, typing up some journal updates on the Milaap borrowers that I visit. I needed to take a bathroom break. I went to one of the bathrooms within the compound of the guesthouse. While there, I felt something scaly touching my left ankle. I looked down and lo and behold, a snake! This dark greenish, scaly reptile was hiding in the bathroom; perhaps waiting to prey on its next victim, which could have been me.
After briefly circling around my foot, it quickly slithered to a corner of the bathroom, hissing at me with its protruding tongue. Instinctively thinking that this snake could be of the venomous sort, I quickly ran out of the bathroom. I then immediately went to the reception room to inform the staff on duty of the snake. They immediately called on the cleaners to rush to the bathroom and capture the snake.I followed suit and watched the cleaners surround the snake outside the bathroom. The snake, already frightened by these “snake hunters”, quickly ducked underneath one of the cleaners. By then, the rest of the staff of the guesthouse joined me as spectators. Clearly, snakes were not a common sight in the bathrooms of their workplace, even though they were in the heart of rural India- a place notorious for abundant snakes.The snake eventually slithered in the middle of the guesthouse garden, where the cleaners finally caught it with metal sticks. They “imprisoned” the snake in a small white bucket. About half an hour later, it died; probably out of fright.I was discovered from one of the receptionists that although they were not aware of the name of this particular snake species, they were aware that it was of the venomous kind. Common folklore among the local villagers state that smaller snakes are venomous, and only slither around at night; while their substantially larger brethren slither around the Bengali fields in daytime. Thankfully, the latter are harmless and tend to avoid human beings.Despite being slightly shocked by knowing the fact that a venomous snake almost bit me, I was so relieved that I was still alive. Any bite from a venomous snake could have been lethal.I have lived to tell the tale! It has been perhaps my most unusual experience to date with Milaap. I knew that the Bengali countryside is teeming with snakes; but I was not exactly expecting one lurking in the bathroom confined with the walls of a compound quite detached from the wilderness.Lucky for all you Milaap readers; I was able to photograph the whole “ordeal”. Here are some of the photos, which visually document the capturing of the snake.[caption id="attachment_2086" align="aligncenter" width="2110"]
The "serpentine menace" trying slithering out of the bathroom to avoid capture. [/caption][caption id="attachment_2091" align="aligncenter" width="2110"]
A staff member prodding the snake out of the bathroom with a metal stick, so that his colleagues can surround and capture it easily in the courtyard. [/caption][caption id="attachment_2088" align="aligncenter" width="2110"]
It was doing its best to slither away from the cleaners even moments before its capture. [/caption][caption id="attachment_2094" align="aligncenter" width="2110"]
Staff members surround and capture it at last. [/caption][caption id="attachment_2095" align="aligncenter" width="2110"]
"Imprisoned" in the bucket, no longer able to harm any other visible living soul. [/caption][caption id="attachment_2097" align="aligncenter" width="2110"]
It died about half an hour later, probably out of fright. R.I.P my dear snake! [/caption]Oh did I forget to mention that a gigantic, 3 metre-long snake slithered into the same gardens 10 minutes later? Unlike the previous “serpentine menace”, this one was of the harmless variety. The staff dealing with this one decided that it was too big to capture. They instead used the same metal sticks to gently prod it out of the compound. I was also able to document the snake with the following photos for your viewing pleasure.[caption id="attachment_2099" align="aligncenter" width="2110"]
This 3 metre-long snake happily slithering around the premises of the guesthouse. [/caption][caption id="attachment_2100" align="aligncenter" width="2110"]
One of the staff members gently prodding the snake out of the compound with a metal stick. [/caption]NOTE: Despite the incidents of both snakes, I have respect for the existence of all living flora and fauna on planet Earth. Every living plant and animal, including snakes, whether venomous or otherwise, have every right to live. All species have a special part to play in contributing to the wonderfully rich biodiversity of this world.
The "serpentine menace" trying slithering out of the bathroom to avoid capture. [/caption][caption id="attachment_2091" align="aligncenter" width="2110"]
A staff member prodding the snake out of the bathroom with a metal stick, so that his colleagues can surround and capture it easily in the courtyard. [/caption][caption id="attachment_2088" align="aligncenter" width="2110"]
It was doing its best to slither away from the cleaners even moments before its capture. [/caption][caption id="attachment_2094" align="aligncenter" width="2110"]
Staff members surround and capture it at last. [/caption][caption id="attachment_2095" align="aligncenter" width="2110"]
"Imprisoned" in the bucket, no longer able to harm any other visible living soul. [/caption][caption id="attachment_2097" align="aligncenter" width="2110"]
It died about half an hour later, probably out of fright. R.I.P my dear snake! [/caption]Oh did I forget to mention that a gigantic, 3 metre-long snake slithered into the same gardens 10 minutes later? Unlike the previous “serpentine menace”, this one was of the harmless variety. The staff dealing with this one decided that it was too big to capture. They instead used the same metal sticks to gently prod it out of the compound. I was also able to document the snake with the following photos for your viewing pleasure.[caption id="attachment_2099" align="aligncenter" width="2110"]
This 3 metre-long snake happily slithering around the premises of the guesthouse. [/caption][caption id="attachment_2100" align="aligncenter" width="2110"]
One of the staff members gently prodding the snake out of the compound with a metal stick. [/caption]NOTE: Despite the incidents of both snakes, I have respect for the existence of all living flora and fauna on planet Earth. Every living plant and animal, including snakes, whether venomous or otherwise, have every right to live. All species have a special part to play in contributing to the wonderfully rich biodiversity of this world.
