Towel found in cobra's stomach

Mixed fare

 Veterinary surgeons here, who cut open a live cobra that was in pain and distress, found a kitchen towel in the stomach of the reptile. The snake, however, did not survive long, after the surgery.

The cobra was found lying in a semi conscious state in the premises of local school near here on Saturday. It looked frail, with its stomach unusually swollen. The volunteers of a snake helpline then brought it to the vets at the Nandankanan zoo and zoological park here, where it was operated. To everyone’s surprise, the surgeons found the towel and a stove pin in the stomach of the cobra. Because of the towel inside its stomach, the cobra had trouble to breathe. The cloth also swelled up its stomach, while the rest of its body grew thin due to its trouble in consuming food.

The incident has invited lot of awe as it is the first time such objects are found from the stomach of a reptile. A cow or a bull gulping down a towel isn’t a rarity, but how did a snake manage to tuck in a towel, even experts wonder.