A 3.5 feet long Indian cobra was rescued in distressed condition from a haystack in a village close to a forest in Kendrapara district, a forest official said here today.
The adult cobra, a protected species under Wild Protection Act, 1972, had strayed into the Purussottampur village close to the Mahakalpada forest block.
However, it did not harm either the humans or the domesticated animals.
"After being informed about the reptile, we rushed to the village and caught it alive by fishing net," Mahakalpada forest range officer, Bijoy Kumar Parida said.
After rescuing the cobra, the forest officials released the reptile in the mangrove forest of Bhitarkanika, which is a safe habitat for snakes and lizards.
Indian cobra is a venomous snake and biting by cobra often proves fatal.
Unless provoked, cobras never attack humans.
