Why kill a snake when you can capture it?
BY HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, JULY 2
— Aurio Miranda, 42, from Fondvem, Ribandar, may not have studied snake science, but he never misses an opportunity to go and catch the reptile whenever it is sighted in his neighbourhood.
On Friday, when Miranda, a temporary employee at the Corporation of the City of Panaji saw a crowd gathered at his neighbour’s house, he went to inquire and was thrilled at the sight of a cobra consuming another small snake.
He immediately called the Forest Department, but decided to catch the snake anyway. “After gulping the smaller snake, the cobra started moving away. I caught it by the tail after which the creature coiled and charged at me. But my previous experience with cobras helped me finally bag it before the forest officials came and took possession,” he narrated.
“This was among the deadliest and the biggest cobra (more than 1.5 metres) I’ve caught,” he says. But Miranda’s not scared. He never even uses a hook while catching the venomous creatures. “Without the hook, the snake can curl and come at you, but that’s not to be feared. Keep your distance,” he advises.
His adventurous nature has helped him release around four cobras into the nearby fields. Apart from these, he has caught uncountable number of rattle snakes of six to eight feet length and other non-poisonous varieties.
Miranda says his house in Ribandar is located on a hill, which is home to different types of snakes. “There used to be many snakes in Ribandar twenty years back. I used to always accompany a friend who was fond of catching the reptiles and developed a liking,” he adds.
Whenever there’s a snake around, people in the neighbourhood call Miranda, who claims that he can tell at first glance whether a snake is poisonous or not. And he has one motto: Why kill it when you can capture it.
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