A resident of Bhubaneswar in eastern India spotted a spectacled cobra in his garden and called for help on April 18.

Arun Kumar Baral, a volunteer of Snake Helpline, rescued the cobra. But he noticed that a tiny metal ring had locked around the cobra's mid-body and took the snake back to the office with him.

Founder of Snake Helpline Subhendu Mallik observed that the cobra was pregnant with a bulge in the abdomen. “The metal ring was choking the snake’s abdomen just where the eggs. As it was a sunday a vet was not available and we had to remove the ring ourselves,” said Subhendu.

As they persuaded the snake to enter a restraining tube, Subhendu's 75-year-old father, Radhashyam Mallik, cut the metal with cutting pliers and freed the snake.
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Radhashyam said: “In my childhood I was taught how to kill snakes. I am now happy I could save one."