E-Paper
IFS officer spots highly venomous snake during night patrol, marvels at its ‘beautiful bands’
An IFS officer’s video of a highly venomous snake spotted during night patrolling went viral.
An Indian Forest Service officer has drawn widespread attention on social media after sharing a striking video of a highly venomous snake encountered during a night patrol. The clip, posted on X by IFS officer Parveen Kaswan, shows a banded krait gliding through running water in the darkness, its distinctive black and yellow bands clearly visible under torchlight.
Take a look here at the clip:
The short video quickly captured the imagination of viewers and has amassed over 177,000 views on the platform.
A rare sight during night patrolling
Kaswan offered context to the encounter through his caption, highlighting both the beauty and danger of the reptile. “Those beautiful bands. Banded krait is highly venomous snake found in India. Found this randomly during night patrolling. How nature provided them so distinct bands,” he wrote.
The banded krait is among India’s most venomous snakes and is primarily nocturnal, which makes sightings during night patrols possible, though still relatively uncommon.
Online reactions mix admiration with fear
Social media users responded with a blend of awe, humour and personal experiences. One user commented, “Probably those stripes are nature’s way of saying admire responsibly,” to which Kaswan replied, “Or mam maybe; stay safe. Caution.” Another viewer praised the visuals, writing, “Beautiful capture. Like a moving hazard marker !”
Not everyone found the sight comforting. A user shared a personal scare, saying, “Sir, are you sure that’s beautiful? While on an evening walk, I once spotted one just a few feet away, and my soul was like, ‘Shall I leave now?’” Others drew comparisons with man made designs, with one remarking, “Even our roads, dividers don't have this level of elegant bands.”
Several comments focused on the snake’s colouring as a natural survival mechanism. “Nature provided natural warning sign to stay away from that snake,” one user observed, while another added, “Crazy how, the more colourful they get, the farther you stay away from them!”
