My encounter with a snake

Today i had an afternoon shift, and didnt have much work to worry about. While i was scanning TV channels in my office, my colleague who was standing outside whispered something to me and gestured with his head towards the floor. I couldnt make sense of his theatrics, and so i went outside to have a look. Lo and behold! i could see an adolescent snake struggling to slide forward on the glazed tiles floor.

Snakes have always mesmerised me, and i didnt want to lose this chance encounter. I hurriedly searched for some kind of a stick to pin the snake at one place. When i got one and stuck the stick gently on its body, its movement was arrested. Now the toughest task was getting hold of its head. The snake having more than half a feet of its front body free for action, i didnt want to take chances. I summoned an onlooking soldier brother to search for another thick stemmed stick to put its head at one place. When he got one, i asked him to hold the stick held by me and took possession of the stick he brought in. I shoved the stick towards its head in simulated attacks and it started striking at it. I kept shoving the stick towards it and it kept shooting its head towards the stick and biting it. Around 6 to 7 bites strikes later, it got exhausted and thats what i was waiting for.

Then slowly i placed the second stick on his head and caught it with my right hand, while my left hand secured the tail part of the poor thing. I quietly walked towards our gate and went outside little away from our area and gently put it on terra firma to resume its normal life.

Though i am not a snake catcher by any definition, i always love to catch one. I have caught atleast 2 snakes earlier and tried catching many more whenever i have encountered them, though unsuccessful in my attempts. I should say that i am scared of snakes and importantly their bites but i love them a lot too. Since i have no idea of recognising their species or toxic value, I treat all snakes as potentially poisonous, whenever i go near them.

(The last snake i caught was also the lengthiest at around 6 feet, caught in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, 2 years back. I couldnt save its life, as public's demands to have it killed was in majority and abided with.)