Villagers in India kill over 50 snakes found in farmer’s home, officials say they’re protected species

Dozens of snakes emerge at farmer’s home in India, villagers kill over 50

A village in Uttar Pradesh, India was gripped by fear on Sunday night (1 June) after dozens of snakes were seen emerging from a farmer’s home.

According to NDTV, the incident took place in Samouli village when Mahfooz Saifi was preparing for bed and spotted a snake about 1.5 feet (0.45m) long in his courtyard.

After killing it, he was startled to see more snakes slithering out from under a ramp near his front door.

52 snakes killed & buried by villagers

Word of the alarming incident spread quickly, and fellow villagers rushed to Mr Mahfooz’s house.

Despite their fear, they joined the farmer and his family in killing a total of 52 snakes, which were then buried in a pit.

A video of the incident later went viral, drawing public attention and prompting an official investigation.

Snakes identified as protected species

The Forest Department sent a team to the village after learning about the situation online.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Rajesh Kumar said that the snakes were likely non-venomous water snakes commonly found in drains.

Snake expert Aditya Tiwari, president of an environmental organisation, also identified them as checkered keelback water snakes, a species protected under India’s Wildlife Protection Act.

“It has come to light that snakes were killed and buried in the ground without informing the department,” said the DFO. “They are protected creatures, and it is necessary to inform the Forest Department before taking any action.”

Officials are now investigating how many snakes were killed and where they were buried.

They’ve also appealed to the public to report such encounters immediately and to avoid harming protected wildlife.