A black cobra was found curled inside a toilet bowl at a home in Akola’s Sudhir Colony. A snake rescuer has linked the intrusion to drought conditions.
A black cobra curled up inside the bowl of a toilet at a home in Sudhir Colony sparked alarm in Akola on Saturday. The venomous snake was spotted around 10 PM on November 1, coiled in the rounded section of the commode at the Khandekar residence. The family’s presence of mind helped avert a potential danger.
Snake rescuer Bal Kalane said sightings of snakes generally drop in November. This year, however, the drought-like conditions have affected reptiles as well.
With ground temperatures high and water and cool shelter hard to find in their natural habitat, creatures such as cobras, vipers and pythons are moving towards human settlements in search of water and shade.
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Pythons in particular are known to live near water bodies. As water sources have dried up, their habitat has come under strain. Rescuers have noted a rise in instances of pythons being found in villages and urban localities, along with an increase in python rescue operations across the state over the past two months.
A snake can travel from a drainage pipeline connected to a home’s toilet up to the commode itself if the pipe has no proper mesh or protective covering. Kalane has urged citizens to inspect their drainage lines, fit suitable mesh at the pipe openings and keep the surroundings clean.
If water scarcity persists until June-July 2027, reptiles are likely to move more frequently through human settlements. That would leave forest authorities, wildlife lovers and snake rescuers facing a major challenge in protecting wildlife while keeping residents safe.