Bhubaneswar: Timely response from a volunteer has saved the life of a cobra that had swallowed a cough syrup bottle in Odisha capital here.

The reptile was unable to eat and move anywhere after it swallowed the cough syrup bottle in Old Town area of the city.

The snake was spotted in a miserable condition near Bindu Sagar lake, located close to Lingaraj temple, in the Old Town area in the early morning today.

On being informed by the locals, Snake Helpline volunteer Shuvendu Mallick reached the spot and tried to remove the bottle from the mouth of the cobra.

Due to the efforts of the Snake Helpline member, the snake managed to regurgitate the bottle.

“The snake might have swallowed the bottle a few days ago. The reptile was in a miserable condition as it was unable to eat and move properly. As it was early morning, the snake could not be taken to OUAT. I removed a portion of the bottle from the mouth of the cobra with snake hook. Subsequently, the reptile regurgitate the bottle,” elaborated Mallick.

According to Mallick, the cough syrup bottle might have been bitten by a rodent before it was disposed of by someone.

“The smell of the rodent might have attracted the cobra to the bottle. The snake could lose its life after swallowing the bottle. It was out of danger after regurgitating the bottle. The snake was later released to a natural habitat outside the city,” Mallick said.