In a rare and dramatic rescue, a cobra injured during construction work in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain was saved after a two-hour surgery in which the reptile received 80 stitches. The incident took place on Tuesday night in the Vikram Nagar Industrial Area, where excavation work is underway.
During digging operations, a JCB accidentally struck a cobra, leaving it badly injured and bleeding. The distressed snake began roaming around the site, its skin torn and its head severely wounded. Onlookers initially threw mud on the snake in fear before calling "snake friends" Rahul and Mukul, well-known local snake rescuers.
The two men reached the spot, safely rescued the injured cobra and immediately rushed it to the veterinary hospital on Udayan Marg.
Chief veterinary surgeon Dr Mukesh Jain and his team, including officers Ramkanya Gaurav, Ravi Rathore and Prashant Parihar, found that the cobra had suffered deep injuries on its head and back, with parts of the skin completely peeled off.
Realising that the snake needed major surgery, the team arranged special medication, administered mild anaesthesia and began a complex operation.
For two hours, doctors meticulously stitched torn skin and muscle, eventually completing 80 stitches to save the cobra's life. The snake is now stable and has been handed back to the rescuers for post-surgery care. It will be released into the wild after two more days of observation.
Dr Jain confirmed that the injured snake belongs to the Elapidae family, which includes several species of cobras.
In a world where snakes are often feared and killed, this rescue stands out as a notable exception.
