In pictures: Giant snake of 'Chinese breed' enters Odisha village, caught

A 12-foot-long snake was discovered near a hotel at Niliya Bandh, close to Chikiti Notified Area Council (NAC) in the Ganjam district, triggering panic among residents late last night. Initially suspected to be a king cobra, the sighting quickly drew crowds and speculation. Further, locals were taken aback by its large size and unfamiliar appearance.

Snake Helpline Intervenes Amid Misidentification Rumours

Volunteers Ramachandra Sahu and Gauri Sahu from Snake Helpline arrived at the scene after receiving urgent distress calls from local residents. Eyewitnesses reported that they acted swiftly and cautiously to secure the snake, preventing possible harm to bystanders.

Snake Helpline members with the rescued snake

However, what followed has raised eyebrows. According to Snake Helpline representatives, the snake was not a king cobra, as feared, but a rare, unidentified species.

Preliminary visual assessments suggested it could be of Chinese origin, but no official classification has been confirmed. As such, there remains a possibility of it being an exotic pet that was abandoned or one that had escaped.

Released into Forest: Conservation or Oversight?

The rescued snake being released (L)

The snake was later released into the Kerandi forest. While this move was hailed as a conservation-friendly action, some wildlife observers have raised concerns about the ecological implications of releasing an unidentified and potentially non-native species into the wild.

Till the last reports came in, the identity of the snake remained unconfirmed.