Family Lives with Deadly ‘Black Cobra’ for 5 Years, Snake Vanishes on Sight of Catcher

Sagar (MP): Imagine living under the same roof with a venomous cobra for five long years. It sounds incredible, but in Khajra Budu village of Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, a black cobra had indeed coexisted with a family for half a decade—appearing sporadically, yet eluding capture—until a snake catcher finally rescued it.

The incident took place at the home of Rishikant Pandey in Sai Kheda, Khajra Budu. The old house, with its thick walls and a rooftop made of khappar (traditional flat tiles), provided perfect hiding spots for the snake. As the house was being renovated, the cobra emerged from the foundation and hid in the rooftop area. After about half an hour of careful effort, snake catcher Akil Baba successfully captured the five-foot-long black cobra.

Five Years in Hiding
According to Rishikant Pandey, the cobra had been living inside their home for nearly five years. It would sometimes crawl through rooms or peek through wall gaps, and at other times appear on the rooftop. Every time the family tried to call a snake catcher, the cobra would vanish. Due to local customs, where snakes are revered as divine, elders had strictly forbidden harming it. “We had even called a snake catcher from 50 kilometers away before, but the black cobra could not be caught. Today, Akil Baba successfully rescued it from the khappar,” said Pandey.

Living Inside Wall Gaps
Akil Baba told Navbharat Times that it is extremely rare for a snake to hide in a house for such a long time without causing harm to humans. “The house was old, with thick walls containing gaps and poles inside. The cobra moved freely from the foundation to the upper parts of the walls, staying hidden until the walls were broken during renovation.”

Highly Venomous, Potentially Fatal
The rescued snake is a black cobra, known for its potent venom. Akil Baba warned that a bite from such a cobra can be fatal within minutes if immediate medical attention is not sought. “Anyone bitten should immediately go to a hospital for anti-snake venom injections. This cobra was highly venomous, yet it astonishingly lived in the house undisturbed for five years,” he added.