A snake hidden inside a washing machine in northern India bit two people who were trying to remove it, and the ordeal did not end there.
What happened?
According to The Times of India, the episode unfolded in Raghaniya village, which falls under the Sasni police area in Uttar Pradesh.
After noticing a snake in her washing machine, 42-year-old Shweta Upadhyay asked her 32-year-old neighbor, Sant Kumar, to help. Both were bitten during the attempt to remove it, with Upadhyay bitten on the leg and Kumar on the hand.
Family members had rushed in after hearing cries, killed the reptile, and taken both victims for treatment. Their relatives later brought the snake's body to the district hospital so staff could identify the species.
Surya Prakash, chief medical superintendent of the government hospital, later said, "They were discharged after treatment. The snake was not venomous."
Why does it matter?
That was not the only recent case of its kind. The Times of India also reported a similar incident in nearby Hathras in April, when a 10-year-old boy bitten while lifting a sack of cauliflower was taken to a hospital with the captured snake so it could be identified.
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Interactions like these are becoming increasingly common as humans expand into animals' habitats. As their habitats become fragmented by human communities, animals increasingly come into direct contact with people or use their homes as shelter or a source of food. While this particular interaction didn't end in serious injury, others may not be so lucky, as venomous or large dangerous animals can cause real bodily harm.
What's being done?
In this case, the immediate response involved treating the victims and identifying the species. Bringing the snake helped doctors assess the level of danger, even if carrying a dead reptile into an emergency ward created another moment of panic.
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