Watch: Crushed by JCB, cobra undergoes surgery

Recently, an Indian Cobra whose lower jaw was accidentally clutched under a JCB earth mover’s scoop was rescued and successfully rehabilitated. The poor reptile was found in an under-construction site in Sarjapur Road and shifted to the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (WRRC) at the Bannerghatta Biological Park, where the vets reconstructed the reptile’s lower jaw through surgery. The cobra is currently under observation at the rehabilitation centre, and is said to be recovering well after the surgery.

The cobra was spotted bu a group of construction workers, who were using a JCB for digging work, along the Sarjapur Road, in the Dommasandra area.

Explaining the presence of the snake at an under-construction site, a wildlife rescuer Karthik, explained, “The population of the rats in the area attracts many snakes to this area. The JCB must have been digging near a rat hole and could have injured the snake. Thankfully, although apprehensive about his spotting and presence, no one harmed the snake.”

A resident of the area informed Karthik about the incident, who rushed to the spot and bagged the snake. “The lower jaw of the snake was disfigured. The JCB’s scoop tooth had dug into the snake’s jaw, severely injuring the snake,” explained Karthik.

Updating about the status of the snake, Kiran Kumar, another wildlife rescuer said that at the snake was taken to the WRRC in Bannerghatta Biological Park where veterinarian Dr Anand performed surgery and fix the reptile jaw.

“We have stitched back the snake’s jaw and the reptile is in observation for a few days. He will be kept under observation till we feel he can hunt on its own and only then release it back into the wild,” Dr Anand told Bangalore Mirror.