Wildbuzz | Confessions of a serpent

While none of the snake-rescue personnel would have entered the belly of a serpent to see how very quickly the ingested prey is digested, an inkling of the speed at which the process occurs comes their way once in a while

While none of the snake-rescue personnel would have entered the belly of a serpent to see how very quickly the ingested prey is digested, an inkling of the speed at which the process occurs comes their way once in a while. A snake having swallowed its prey whole or a number of eggs is sometimes rescued or removed from the spot in human habitation. Once bagged, the snake panics in human presence and disgorges the prey it had recently swallowed. The speed at which digestive juices / enzymes act on the ingested prey can be inferred from the fact that the ejected food stinks to the high heavens, emitting such a foul smell of disintegration having come under attack from the snake’s extraordinary digestive powers. It leads the befuddled snake-rescue personnel to check the canister carrying the snake to see if the “assassin” itself had not perished in captivity!

Cobra in captivity disgorging eggs of Lady Amherst pheasant at Chhatbir. (FILE PHOTO: MC ZOOLOGICAL PARK, CHHATBIR)

Very recently, a rat snake of an estimated eight feet intruded into the Pheasant Breeding Centre in the Morni hills. The agile hunter gobbled seven of nine eggs of the red junglefowl laid in one clutch. While the hens clucked in vain disapproval, the snake could not find its way out of the wire mesh and settled down in a corner of the coop. The snake was nabbed but before the serpent could be released in the jungle, it disgorged the eggs, which came out with shells in pieces and yokes and egg whites transforming under digestive mode.

A rock python was rescued from Ghaggar river bed. The alarm had gone out because a bitch had laid five pups but was wandering and searching in vain. None of the pups could be seen. When the python was nabbed, the mystery was solved. Out came five pups! Similarly, a rat snake rescued from Nayagaon and kept in a plastic container pending its rehabilitation, made a quick disclosure of its “murders”. A badly-decaying frog and rat were delivered to the world and they let out such a stench that even the Gods high above must have wrinkled their noses in abject disgust!

However, the most dramatic of such incidents took place at Chhatbir Zoo. One fine day, the precious eggs of the exotic Lady Amherst’s pheasant disappeared from the aviary. The management lodged a FIR against the employees suspecting theft. The employee unions lodged a protest. Claiming innocence, the employees felt that the police would “torture” them to extract a confession. Rattled by the vociferous protests, the management launched an internal investigation before pursuing the case further with the police.

In panic, a python disgorges a Golden jackal and a cobra, a rat. (PHOTOS: CHAMAN SINGH)

Zoo keepers then found a rat hole underneath the pheasant’s nest. The hole was dug further and they came across a rat nest with 20 offspring. The hole was dug further to probe underneath the cement slabs. The trail led to a massive Spectacled cobra curled up underneath the aviary with a bulging belly. Evidently, the cobra had led a cushy life, eating rats and pheasant eggs and then resting in secrecy as it digested the food. The cobra was taken out and placed in a wooden box. Out came the stolen eggs, one by one.

The FIR was withdrawn. The cobra had given a timely confession that saved employees from persecution and prosecution!

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