Kharagpur Forest Division Registers Another POR Over Cobra Abuse Following PETA India Complaint
Acting on alarming videos shared by a vigilant citizen about the unlawful possession, abuse, and exploitation of several monocled cobras (Naja kaouthia)—a species protected under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) (WPA) Act, 1972—by a group of ‘entertainers’, PETA India worked with the Kharagpur Forest Division of the West Bengal Forest Department to register a preliminary offence report (POR). The officials are investigating the matter to locate the culprits and the cobras in their unlawful possession.
PETA India received multiple videos showing several persons seeming to confine and exploit cobras for public entertainment at Saipur Dhukurda Primary School Ground in Village Saipur, Paschim Medinipur. The footage captures performers handling the snakes on stage and walking among the public while holding the cobras. The POR was registered under sections 9 and 48 of the WPA, 1972, against the alleged abusers. Any offence against a species protected under Schedule I of the WPA, 1972 is punishable with a jail term of at least three years, which may extend to seven years, and a fine of at least ₹25,000.
Snakes belong free in their jungle homes. And people who capture and abuse snakes belong in prison. We commend Shri Manish Kumar Yadav, Divisional Forest Officer, Kharagpur Division, for promptly taking action, sending a clear message that cruelty to animals will not be tolerated. PETA India urges compassionate individuals to remain observant and report any cruelty to wildlife or other animals to the appropriate authorities, such as the police or the forest department.
Snakes are trapped and taken from their natural habitats by snake charmers, disregarding the WPA, 1972. Their teeth are often violently yanked out, their venom glands emptied by painfully squeezing their heads, and in many cases, their mouths are sewn shut, leaving a little gap to pour water or milk. The “dance” that snakes perform is a fearful reaction to the charmer’s pipe, which the animals perceive as a threat. Snakes kept like this often die slowly and painfully.
