27 September,2016 07:00 AM IST | | Santosh Wagh
Constable from Shivaji Park police station, notorious for his snake-busting prowess, called in to catch and release Spectacled Cobra, whose bite could've killed within hours, at Mumbai's Aarey Colony
Constable Murlidhar Jadhav from Shivaji Park police station with the deadly Spectacled Cobra that he caught at Bandra Reclamation last night. Pic/ Pradeep Dhivar
A senior citizen out on a walk on Monday night got the shock of his life when he spotted a cobra slithering past him. He immediately called the Mumbai police control room, who directed Murlidhar Jadhav, 35, a constable attached to Shivaji Park police station and an intrepid snake catcher, to the spot.
Jadhav managed to catch the 5-foot-long Spectacled Cobra around midnight and took it to the Aarey forest where he released it around 4 am. According to the police, Jadhav receives calls all the time from people who spot snakes in their areas. Jadhav has also been chosen as an animal welfare officer by the government.
Speaking to mid-day, Jadhav said the cobra last night was among the most dangerous he has caught till date. If this cobra had bitten someone, the person would have died in a couple of hours, Jadhav said.
Jadhav, who joined the Mumbai police in 2007, has so far caught around 1,000 snakes. He said he was bitten by a snake as a 10-year-old, and has been fascinated by the critters every since.
