In yet another case of selfie deaths, a 25-year-old man died after trying to take a selfie while kissing a Cobra that was recently rescued in Mumbai. The deceased identified as Somnath Mhatre who hails from Belapur area of Mumbai city was apparently a snake lover and used to rescue snakes and other animals as well.
An activist told IANS that the unfortunate incident took place when Somnath was called urgently on January 30 to help a deadly poisonous Cobra that had slipped into someones’ care that was parked in a housing society. Mhatre rescued the snake safely and even checked signs of any possible injuries on the Cobra from a distance.
The snake that appeared to be nervous and was not unable to relax was normal until Somnath decided to capture the moment by taking a selfie. He took out his mobile phone, kissed the Cobra and posed for a selfie. The already nervous animal panicked and bit Somnath on his chest.
Somnath who was bleeding profusely after the snake bite was rushed to the nearby hospital for treatment. Sadly, he passed away in the hospital 5 days after the incident took place.
The grieving family members told IANS that Somnath was an animal lover and rescued over 100 snakes in the past adding that he would let them into the wild after rescuing them. The report further added that this is not the first incident involving the death of an animal lover during the rescue operation. At least 22 people have died due to snake bites in the past decade.
A number of NGOs have urged the Forest department to issue a set of rules that should be followed by animal rescuers and also demanded a stern action against people who posted pictures with animals by risking their life while taking pictures with them.
