At Puri Station in Odisha, a 12-foot python weighing roughly 33 pounds was recovered from the railway depot area, according to Kalinga TV. What began as a dramatic rescue has since raised questions about why the snake was on railway property in the first place.
The rescuer believes the reptile may not have arrived there on its own and suspects it was released after being used to create social media reels.
Here's what to know
Snake Helpline member Sangram Keshari Das removed the snake and later turned it over to the Forest Department, according to Kalinga TV. Its discovery at a working rail site, rather than in a natural setting, immediately made the incident more than a routine wildlife call.
#WATCH | Odisha: 12-Foot-Long Python Rescued from Puri Railway Depot. #Odisha #Puri #Snake #kalingatv https://t.co/DyfjWIQMBt
— Kalinga TV (@kalingatv) October 14, 2026
Das said the python may be the same one recovered in September from Dhanikera village under Puri Sadar. That allegation suggests the animal may have spent time in captivity or under human control before it surfaced at the depot.
He also alleged that Tapan Kumar Das, known locally as Chapada Kalu, had possession of the python earlier. In Das' account, Chapada Kalu carried the snake from village to village, showed it to crowds, and posted videos of it on social media.
Das further claimed the python was being kept at Chapada Kalu's home alongside about 20 cobras. Those allegations have not been independently confirmed, and it is still not known how the reptile ultimately reached the railway depot.
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More background
Das said that after Chapada Kalu died, Kailash Parida — another snake handler — removed the python and the cobras from the house.
Das alleged that Parida, too, used the animals in social media videos, including clips that reportedly showed the snakes being put into a well. If that account is accurate, the python's presence at the depot would appear linked to repeated human handling rather than normal movement in the wild.
A 12-foot python inside a railway facility can alarm workers and the public, and repeated transport and display can also stress the animal. More broadly, wild animals attacking humans often comes down to how often humans force close contact, relocate animals, or disrupt their normal behavior.
What's being done?
Kalinga TV reported that Das has asked the Forest Department to examine how the python reached Puri railway station and to pursue legal action against anyone responsible. The issue, he argues, is not only the rescue itself but whether the snake was intentionally left there.
Any inquiry could also shed light on the whereabouts of the other reptiles Das referred to, including the roughly 20 cobras he alleged were kept at Chapada Kalu's residence and later taken by Parida.
Where can I learn more?
Like the Puri case, these stories involve snakes found around people or handled for attention. They range from influencer encounters and urban rescues to roadside removals and cobra calls inside homes.
• In Indonesia, a wildlife influencer wrangles a python for video, saying he caught it alive.
• In Singapore, park contractors take swift action when workers spot a reticulated python.
• In Brazil, online footage of a snake in an unusual location sparked outrage.
• In Pennsylvania, rescuers couldn't leave this animal after a boa crossed a busy road.
• In Telangana, a snake catcher bags an Indian cobra after it slips into grandparents' home.
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