Bhola village turns into snake pit, nests found under home

Villagers of Kondrokpur in Bhola Sadar upazila have killed at least 180 snakes in the last five days after a nest was found under one of the homes. Motahar Hossain Boyati found a five- or six-foot-long snake in his home on Tuesday night that went into a hole when chased. That night Motahar and his family covered the hole with bricks. The next morning they called in an Ojha, or a snake charmer, named Abu who opened up the hole and drew out 15 baby snakes. Abu then killed the snakes and left saying he could not find the adult snakes. On Thursday, another charmer named Amena Begum was called. Under her guidance, villagers dug out another 50 baby snakes that day. In total, till Saturday the villagers found 180 snakes and 60 eggs under and around Motahar's home and killed them. Motahar's son Ibrahim Boyati said according to the snake charmers the snakes were poisonous cobras and there are more of them in the area. Panic has spread among the villagers, who have put up nets around their homes and used many warding rituals to guard themselves from the snakes. Momen Miah, an assistant professor of zoology, said a snake can lay 30-40 eggs at a time. “Several snakes could have laid eggs in that house. I cannot tell you what these snakes are without looking at the babies or the eggs,” he said.