Snake slithers into school bag in Orissa
By IANSMonday, February 14, 2011
BHUBANESWAR - A three feet long poisonous snake found in the school bag of a class five student in Orissa triggered panic in the school campus, the boy’s father said Monday.
The staff and the students of Saraswati Shishu Vidya Mandir in the Bhimtangi area here received this shock Saturday.
Chiranjib Das went to school as usual and attended his classes, his father Banamali Das, who works in a private firm in the city, told IANS.
Around 12.30 p.m., a literature teacher came to the class and she asked the students to open their books. “When my son opened the bag, he felt something soft inside and informed the teacher anticipating that it could be a frog,” he said.
The teacher took the bag to another teacher who found a Russell’s viper on opening it.
Russell’s viper is one of the most dangerous snakes, accounting for hundreds of deaths each year in India. Chiranjib and his father said they were unaware how the snake sneaked into the bag.
“Thank god, the boy had a miraculous escape. He took out copies from the bag several times but he was not bitten by the snake,” said teacher B.K. Jena who found the snake.
Demonstrating an environment friendly gesture, the teacher immediately released the snake in a nearby forest without causing any harm to it, snake helpline member Subhendu Mallik told IANS.
