India

Bird of Prey Drops Snake into Srinagar Homeyard During Morning Tea

By Kelli Bender

During a morning tea at a home in Srinagar, a city in Indian‑administered Jammu and Kashmir, a black kite dropped a live snake into the family’s yard. The bird of prey, native to the area, was seen carrying the reptile in its talons before it fell onto the veranda, interrupting the family’s tea at about 11 a.m. local time. Wildlife SOS was called to the scene and safely removed the non‑venomous rat snake from the property. The snake survived the fall and the encounter with the bird, and rescuers found it hiding near the kitchen window before coaxing it away and boxing it for relocation. The incident is one of several recent surprising snake encounters, including a venomous bite in Scotland on August 10, when a 6‑year‑old boy was bitten by an adder after mistaking it for a legless lizard. The boy received two doses of anti‑venom and a lengthy hospital stay but has since fully recovered. The story was reported by People.