Rescued from Race Course, cobra has 22 hatchling

CHENNAI: An Indian Cobra rescued from Race Course at Guindy by Forest Department officials had 22 hatchlings on Thursday. Including the one rescued on Thursday, the Forest officials in the city have so far rescued 460 snakes since January, out of which 26 were cobras.Forest officials said that they received information from Race Course officials on Wednesday about a cobra that was found in a bush on the premises. Soon, a team of forest officials rushed to the spot and rescued the 1.25 metre long cobra that was protecting the 22 eggs it had laid.Officials carefully removed the cobra,and kept the eggs in a pot filled with mud. The cobra and its eggs were then brought to the rescue centre of the Forest Department and stored. Officials said they saw the eggs hatching on Thursday morning.The 22, half a feet long, baby cobras will be fed with water and small insects, officials said, adding that the hatchlings would be released into the forest after two or three days. “We kept the mother cobra separately as it would eat its own babies. This is the first time we have found a cobra in the Race Course. It could have come there to live in the bushes,” said S Davidraj, Forest Range Officer.Officials said that cobras have a silky body and need   lot of care while being rescued. Also, the mother cobra would be very alert when it lays eggs, they added.“Cobras are cold-blooded and live in hot areas, mostly in bushes and holes in the ground and will come out only in the night. During rainy season, it’ll go in search of a place not wet and will live there,” said Davidraj.