TIMES OF INDIA (New Delhi) 30 September 13 Park your vehicle, risk a snake bite (Melvyn Reggie Thomas)
Surat: Next time you are in the posh Vesu area, don't park your vehicle in a deserted area. Chances are that a venomous snake could hide somewhere in your vehicle, be it car or motorcycle.
Sandip Burkhawala, a resident of Salabatpura, had a close encounter with a baby cobra when he was returning from Vesu on Saturday evening.
The snake had hid itself in the motorcycle parked by Sandip at Vesu. He had gone to visit one of his friends in Vesu.
While returning, the cobra peeked out from the front portion of the bike showing its fangs. Frightened, Sandip pulled off his bike near Majura Gate and stopped an auto driver for help.
The auto driver found that it was the deadliest cobra snake and advised Sandip to keep off the bike.
Sandip immediately got in touch with animal rescuers. It took more than half an hour for the rescuers to take out the baby cobra from the motorcycle.
Talking with TOI, Sandip Burkhawala said, "I had a close encounter with death. I saw something coming out of the front portion of the bike. Had I not had stopped the bike, the cobra could have bitten me hard. I would advise all those going towards Vesu to be careful."
The animal rescuers said the entire belt from Vesu to Dumas has a huge population of vipers and cobras.
They must have come out from their abodes due to heavy rains and floods last week.
The cobra was caught and would be released in the wild in the Dang soon.
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