Cobra rescued from Delhi’s Dwarka metro station

Around 30 species of snakes have been recorded in Delhi out of which only four are venomous — Common Cobra (also known as Spectacle Cobra), Common Krait, Saw Scale Viper and Russell’s Viper.

A four-foot cobra was rescued from the basement of southwest Delhi’s Dwarka Sector 8 metro station on Monday evening. The cobra, which was spotted by the maintenance staff, created quite a stir at the metro station.

A cobra was spotted from Delhi’s Dwarka Metro station. (HT PHOTOS)

According to Wildlife SOS, an NGO, which conducted the rescue operation, a noise was heard from a pile of discarded items near the store room in the basement of the station. Delhi Metro’s maintenance staff went up to the store room where they spotted the snake and dialled the rescue helpline.

“The maintenance staff found the snake hiding amid a pile of discarded material near the storage room. They immediately reported the incident. The rescuers had to block off all potential hiding places and escape routes to get the snake into a safe transport container,” said, a senior Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) official.

The snake was later rescued in the wild, the NGO said in a statement.

“A cobra seldom bites but give out warning signs by displaying its hood. The common cobra (Naja naja) is one of the big four venomous snake species to be found in the Indian subcontinent. These species are listed under Schedule II of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act 1972,” said Wasim Akram, deputy director, special projects, Wildlife SOS.

Around 30 species of snakes have been recorded in Delhi out of which only four are venomous — Common Cobra (also known as Spectacle Cobra), Common Krait, Saw Scale Viper and Russell’s Viper.

Among the snakes that have been rescued, the maximum are Spectacled Cobra, Common Krait, Python, Indian Rat Snake, Common Sand Boa, Wolf Snake and Black Headed Royal Snake among others.