A farmer killed a 4-foot-long Russell's viper while cutting grass in Kumarkhali, Kushtia.
The incident occurred in the Kalyanpur Battala area of Shelaidaha union, Kumarkhali upazila, Kushtia, on Tuesday.
Following the incident, local residents tied the snake's neck with a plastic rope and hung it on a tree for about three and a half hours. A veterinarian then cut the snake's stomach with a blade to check if it was pregnant. The snake was subsequently burned and buried.
Videos of the snake being killed have gone viral on social media platforms like Facebook. However, administration officials and environmentalists have condemned the act as inhumane and illegal.
Arifur Rahman, a local upazila forest department officer, said that killing a wild animal and slitting its stomach is both against the law and despicable.
According to sources, Ziaur Rahman, son of Moktar Hossain of Kalyanpur, encountered the viper while cutting grass on his land around 10am on Tuesday. He killed the snake by hitting it with a hammer and called his brother Nasir Uddin.
Russell's Viper: Panic, misinformation and the realityLocals then brought the snake to the Battala area and hung it on a tree until 2pm. Later, Abdur Razzak, a local veterinarian, slit the snake's stomach to check for babies. The snake was then burned and buried. The incident was recorded and posted on Facebook.
Farmer Ziaur Rahman said the snake was coming towards him while he was cutting grass. He struck it in self-defence, almost killing it, and then called others. The locals finished killing the snake by hanging it on a tree.
Veterinarian Abdur Razzak admitted it was wrong to cut the snake's stomach, explaining that the snake's belly appeared fat, prompting locals to ask if it was pregnant.
Bangladesh Biodiversity Conservation Federation Vice President Sahabuddin said: “People have no awareness. Thus, we are destroying nature.”
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) SM Mikail Islam urged people to be more aware, acknowledging that fear drives many such actions.
