Hamirpur man arrested for burning cobras alive, booked under Wildlife Act

Hamirpur: Authorities in Hamirpur have arrested a man after a video surfaced on social media showing him allegedly throwing two cobras into a pile of burning hay, which led to their deaths.

Following the circulation of the video, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, in coordination with the Hamirpur Forest Division of the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department, registered a preliminary offence report (POR) under the Wildlife(Protection) Act (WPA), 1972.

The snakes are suspected to be Indian cobras, a species listed under Schedule I of the WPA.

The case has been filed under Sections 9, 39, and 51 of the Act. The offence is non-bailable and carries a punishment of three to seven years’ imprisonment along with a minimum fine of ?25,000.

“The cobras were forced to endure a painful, unnecessary death,” said Saloni Sakaria, Lead Cruelty Response Coordinator at PETA India. She commended the swift intervention of the Hamirpur Forest Division, led by Divisional Forest Officer Anil Srivastava, IFS, and urged the public to contact forest authorities when encountering snakes.