Snake fatally bites Navi Mumbai wildlife activist who kissed it

Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service
Mumbai, February 6

Somnath Mhatre, a youth from Navi Mumbai, lost his life last week after trying to kiss a cobra he rescued a short while earlier, police said.
Mhatre, a wildlife activist, who is said to have rescued more than 100 reptiles in the past, was called by locals to trap the cobra which had entered a residential area at Navi Mumbai’s CBD Belapur neighbourhood last week.

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According to police, Mhatre rescued the cobra and took it to a secluded location and attempted to get himself photographed while kissing its hood.

However, the snake suddenly bit the youth. Mhatre died in hospital on Sunday after undergoing treatment for five days, police said.
Following the death of the 21-year-old youth, Maharashtra’s forest department is likely to ask snake rescuers not to attempt kissing the hood of snakes for publicity. Activists told reporters that as many as 30 people had died in recent times while attempting to get them photographed in this manner.

Activists are demanding that the forest department advise people working on rescuing snakes from participating in such dangerous stunts.

Photographs of Mhatre trying to kiss the snake have going viral on social media.