The 30-year-old Rajesh Jat aims to establish more rescue teams in every city. | Instagram/rajesh_indori_snake_rescuer
Indore: In a scene straight out of a horror film, a cobra was discovered inside a toilet commode in Indore, sending shivers down the spines of internet users. The alarming incident was captured on video and shared on Instagram by snake rescuer Rajesh Jat, quickly going viral and triggering what many have called their “worst nightmare.”
Jat, Director and Founder of Voice4Wildlife Foundation in Indore shared that his foundation rescues wildlife animals that come into the city, such as venomous snakes and monitor lizards. Through his foundation, he rescued wildlife animals found in the city, and one such call came at midnight on April 1.
“We are listed on Google, and people can reach out to us in case of such a situation through our website, ‘voice4wildlife.in’. So, we got a call from a resident of Indore who said they had seen a snake in their bathroom,” Jat told Times Now.
“I asked them to keep an eye on the snake and maintain a distance. However, they got scared and locked the door from the outside. When I arrived, I could not see the snake. Then, I looked inside the commode and saw something black, which appeared to be the mouth of a highly venomous cobra,” he added.
The video shared by Jat garnered over five million views, with netizens calling it their “worst nightmare.” One user wrote, “Bachpan se iska dar tha (I feared this since my childhood).” Another commented, “Isiliye main har 20 second par flush karta rehta hoon (That’s why I keep on flushing every 20 seconds).”
“My fear came to reality,” wrote one user, while another said, “New fear unlocked.” Some users also praised Jat’s work, writing, “Your work is appreciable.”
Jat explained that snakes usually come inside bathrooms through the drainage system in cities. However, they often go unnoticed as they hide when they hear movement. “In this scenario, due to the high temperature in Indore and rats digging holes in the drainage pipes, the snakes tend to travel through these pipes and reach toilet commodes and even kitchen pipes,” Jat said.
“Due to the hot climate, they hide inside the drainage pipes during the day and come out at night when it gets cooler. This makes it challenging to rescue them, as they hide again as soon as they detect any movement,” Jat shared, discussing the difficulties faced during such rescue operations.
Pointing to the video, he said, “To rescue this one, we poured water into the commode. Due to the continuous flow of water inside the drainage pipe, the snake feels a lack of oxygen and tries to come out. As you can see in the video, I was holding a pipe, and as soon as it came out for oxygen, I started pouring water into the mouth, and it came out. This is how I rescued it.”
“Not every rescue happens this easily. This one was done within 15 minutes. Otherwise, bathroom cases can last up to three days,” he stated. “It depends on which floor the snake is seen. It is a misconception that they only come to the ground floor. They can travel to any floor very easily.”
To prevent such incidents, Jat advised, “One should not keep the area around drainage pipes open or throw garbage near them, as it leads to rats digging holes inside the pipes, creating a path for snakes. If you find an open drainage pipe, you should contact your city’s municipality and get it cemented to prevent such incidents.”
Voice4Wildlife operates in Indore and nearby locations, with Jat leading a team of five to six members. “We face problems in rescue as we only have four people available full-time, while the other two are only available during their free time.”
The 30-year-old Rajesh Jat aims to establish more rescue teams in every city.
