New Delhi, Aug 10: An NGO has condemned the unethical treatment meeted-out to snakes during the festival of ‘Naag Panchami’ arguing "the festival has always left behind a trail of dead and mutilated cobras." "As the month of August starts, so do the preparations for ‘Naag Panchami’. Snakes are captured in suffocating bags, kept in tiny boxes and are starved," a release from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) said. Around 2000 snakes die horrible deaths every year on the festival in Mumbai, "which has scaled the peak of world records for the highest snake mortality on one day," it said.
Snakes have their teeth violently yanked out, many have their mouths painfully sewn shut and are brought into cities, besides, the snake's venom duct is often pierced with a hot needle, causing its glands to burst, the release said. As they are starved and kept thirsty, the snakes consume the milk offered to them, he said adding that "milk causes the snake severe dehydration and allergic reactions."
Urging people to take action against snake charmers, the release said, "as per the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, it is a crime to catch snakes, do business with them or even own them. If you see a snake charmer, you can book a complaint against him under the act."
Bureau Report