Hello from a cobra

airgun_novice · Post by **airgun_novice** » Thu Nov 24, 2011 10:23 pm

We came upon this beauty on our last family trip to Kelwe near Palghar. It was swaying and swinging in its full natural glory in the forest in the ghat between Maswan and Palghar. I requested my wife to loan me her cell (Nokia E series) with camera in it and she did. I wanted a close up picture and so I went close. The “female compartment” – mom, wife, daughter - kept shouting from behind urging me to stay away and be safe and quite succeeded in distracting me at the start. Anyway, the first time I clicked, it didn’t work – so I went back to my wife and she explained that it had “timed out”. Whatever – then I asked her to “set it right” so I could just go ahead and click. Whatever adjustment she did, she set the flash to “on”. I crept close to the cobra clicked, Imagine my hair standing all up and the cobra following the flash “stood up further and turned in my direction with a kiss, err, hiss. Thankfully, nothing untoward happened and all went well. After a while the cobra slithered back into the shadows of the forest. I only asked my wife – “Honey, how much have you insured me for ?” She showed as if she didn’t get it. Did you ?

palghar_cobra.JPG

prashantsingh · Post by **prashantsingh** » Thu Nov 24, 2011 10:56 pm

nice click.

fantumfan2003 · Post by **fantumfan2003** » Thu Nov 24, 2011 11:52 pm

AGN,

Beautiful specimen of a Spectacled...Hey but please never again so close okay ?

M.

airgun_novice wrote:We came upon this beauty on our last family trip to Kelwe near Palghar. It was swaying and swinging in its full natural glory in the forest in the ghat between Maswan and Palghar. I requested my wife to loan me her cell (Nokia E series) with camera in it and she did. I wanted a close up picture and so I went close. The “female compartment” – mom, wife, daughter - kept shouting from behind urging me to stay away and be safe and quite succeeded in distracting me at the start. Anyway, the first time I clicked, it didn’t work – so I went back to my wife and she explained that it had “timed out”. Whatever – then I asked her to “set it right” so I could just go ahead and click. Whatever adjustment she did, she set the flash to “on”. I crept close to the cobra clicked, Imagine my hair standing all up and the cobra following the flash “stood up further and turned in my direction with a kiss, err, hiss. Thankfully, nothing untoward happened and all went well. After a while the cobra slithered back into the shadows of the forest. I only asked my wife – “Honey, how much have you insured me for ?” She showed as if she didn’t get it. Did you ?
palghar_cobra.JPG

rraju2805 · Post by **rraju2805** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 7:28 am

NICE..

airgun_novice · Post by **airgun_novice** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 8:46 am

Prashantsingh, FF2003, rraju2805 - thank you all.

sonny · Post by **sonny** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 9:45 am

Friends,
I stay in Vasai touching Mumbai. Vasai (vasai gaon & not station area) is a typical urbanised village where i have 2 acres property (a 'wadi' in local terms) .cobras are regulars at my property.Infact,there are 4-5 cobra residents in my property.
Once at 6 am,my son went for his bath & there was 7-8 feet cobra on the shower panel.Having spent my entire life in mumbai,i didnt know what do do.But cobra himself solved the issue..He panicked & went back in our wadi.
Probably,he knew that most poisonous & most lethal animal on this earth is MAN
How many of you agree?
Regards

dr.jayakumar · Post by **dr.jayakumar** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 10:14 am

friend,
that was a close encounter.normally in my town people would have beaten the cobra to death.
very nice of you to let the cobra go unhurt.
regards

essdee1972 · Post by **essdee1972** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 11:27 am

AGN, cool pic!

Sonny, I second Dr. Jayakumar. The cobra was lucky you were there and not some kill happy goons. And of course, you last sentence hits the nail on the head!

Cheers!

EssDee

prashantsingh · Post by **prashantsingh** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 3:15 pm

A cobra would prefer to save his venom to kill it's prey rather than use it on bigger animals (including Man). It doesn't want to waste it's venom on a creature which is to big for him to swallow.
Yet if threatened , it would bite.
Even before biting it gives out enough signals (raising his hood and hissing) to warn the intruder.
The people who unfortunately get bitten are those who (in most cases accidently) get too close to the snake.

airgun_novice · Post by **airgun_novice** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 11:10 pm

essdee1972 wrote:AGN, cool pic!

Sonny, I second Dr. Jayakumar. The cobra was lucky you were there and not some kill happy goons. And of course, you last sentence hits the nail on the head!

Cheers!

EssDee

SD - Many Thanks - knew we were in tune

There was also another tourist probably going to Kelwe-Mahim beach who had a big digital camera with a howitzer size lens. I asked him to go slightly further to get a good pix but the bro stayed mighty behind saying that the lens would zoom in fine.
sonny -

That was quite an adult one you had which means it was plenty poisonous too. At this size usually the poison never empties - after a bite (say into a rat)that quantity gets replenished in a twinkle. Which means you need to check the windows and also the toilet. He must have got in through some vent or the toilet pipe which in wadi probably empties into a cess pit. He might have followed a rat.
Dr. Jayakumar - Thank you - normally I do not like to hurt flora and fauna though. But must confess - the very next evening I had a little dhishum-dhishum with a 4" red scorpion who awaited me in my toilet. My daughter thankfully caught the dude with her sharp eyes and alerted me. He used his sting and moi a cricket bat. Ahem! May he rest in peace and pieces.
Prashantsingh - I got your subtle hint that

- fully accepted.

dr.jayakumar · Post by **dr.jayakumar** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 10:12 am

life is precious,we got be cautious,its understandble air-gun novice.
i was bitten by a scorpion couple of months ago when i went shooting (picture)at dusk in anear by pond .
as it bit me my first instinct made me stamp the scorpion,then i realized should have taken a picture bitting my foot.
alas! he is dead,can't help it sometimes.
regards

sonny · Post by **sonny** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 12:49 pm

Air gun novice & essdee,you stay in mumbai...right? Why dont you come down to our Vasai on some sunday?
Its really cool.
I was born & brought in mumbai,spent my life in mumbai,latter thane but had our ancestral house here in vasai.
In 2007,i had shift to vasai temporarily to sort out a property issue but i stayed back & enjoying my life ,away from
pollution & noise of a city.Only noise who will hear throughout the day is of birds chirping & our Rancho barking at
squirrels (dont know why but he dislikes them the way any ultra nationalist will dislike pakistani)
Please do come & get any friends along too
regards

Post by **Mark** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 5:03 pm

That is a pretty respectable picture! Thanks for posting!

skeetshot · Post by **skeetshot** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 6:25 pm

Well done, AGN, nice picture, especially considering how you took it.

airgun_novice · Post by **airgun_novice** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 7:12 pm

Thank you skeetshot & Mark.

Sonny, in fact I am in the process of getting my Kelwe grass-cutting done followed by landscaping. once done we (Mumbaikar IFGians) can all have a nice outing to Vasai-Kelwe. I had visited Vasai gaon and the fort long time back - would not mind another trip(s). Incidentally, a family (Mom's) friend Mrs. D'Silva (too many of that name there) and my former school class teacher (Mrs. Rupa Raut) have settled some place there. Plan to track them too.

BTW, Mee Mumbaikar too - shifting now to Thane city (last 4-5 yr) and have a small (holiday) place in Kelwe near the station.

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