THE STATESMAN (Kolkata, India) 01 August 08 Snake eggs in bedroom triggers panic
Siliguri: A large number of snake eggs found by a railway employee, Mr Khagendra Nath Mandal in the bedroom of his quarter No. B249 at Central Colony in Siliguri triggered panic among the residents of the New Jalpaiguri Railway Institute area today. People gathered in large numbers at the quarter, where Mr Mandal found about 20 eggs while dusting the floor of his bedroom this morning.
On receiving the news, animal activist Mr Debapratim Saha and his assistant, Pintu Saha rushed to the quarter at around 1:30 pm to collect the eggs and hand them over to the forest authorities in Sukna, but by then Mr Mandal and the panic-stricken members of his family had damaged almost all the eggs in a hurry to remove them from their bedroom.
Mr Saha collected three eggs, which were intact, in an earthen pot and handed them over to Mr Kanchan Bannerjee, squad ranger, Sukna, who thereafter kept them in a cage at the Sukna Rescue Centre.
The eggs have not yet been identified, but Mr Saha claimed that they were of a cobra, which might have sneaked into the quarter from the adjacent bushes or hedges, where they are normally found.
Mr NC Bahuguna, chief conservator of forests, north Bengal informed that for the first time such a large number of snake eggs have been found at one place in Siliguri. He said that they would hand them over to Mr Dipak Mitra, the owner of a snake park in Kolkata, who is currently touring north Bengal or release the neonates into the forest if the eggs hatch before they are able to contact Mr Mitra.
Snake eggs in bedroom triggers panic