A deadly Russell’s Viper, one of the most lethal snake species known to mankind, was safely released back into the wild on Saturday night, after being rescued from the Gorai River in Kushtia.
The snake was released in a remote sandbar of Kushtia after nightfall, with the help of a local nature lover and the Forest Department.
The Russell’s Viper is identified as one of the ‘big four’ species of venomous snakes belonging to India’s historic geography (that includes lands now in Bangladesh, Pakistan). It is also found commonly around farmland further east, from Indonesia to Taiwan.
It is one of the genera responsible for causing the most snakebite incidents and deaths among all venomous snakes due to many factors, such as their wide distribution, general aggressiveness, and frequent occurrence in highly populated areas.
Locals said Mridul Sheikh from Mangalbaria area of the town went fishing in the Gorai River on Wednesday and a five feet long snake got stuck in his net. He kept it in the bucket and brought it home as he found it to be rare. The snake’s stomach was full of eggs and it was not moving much.
The fisherman was trying to sell the snake.
Being informed, Shahabuddin Milon, a nature lover and social worker from Thanapara area of Kushtia town, along with Kushtia Forest Department rescued the snake.
Abdul Hamid, an official of the Kushtia Forest Department, said the snake was believed to have come from India with floodwater.
Earlier, around a week ago, another Russell viper was caught in a fishing net from the Gorai river at Chheuria in Kumarkhali area of Kushtia.
Source: United News of Bangladesh