Tris says:

I heard that the cobra in this vid had been de-fanged. Not sure if that really makes it too much better, but if it’s true at least there wasn’t any real risk.

*wingz* says:

Why has this stupid video been posted again?

Dan McDermott says:

I lived in India for two years as a kid. This is an odd rite of passage. The snake’s mouth is sewn shut and the teeth are removed. There is no danger except I suppose if the snake hit him in the eye and bruised it or something. Cobras are common there, and he may have been from a charmer family.

The caste system and some of their weird beliefs are probably a lot more damaging to this kid’s future.

Jack Martin says:

I feel more sorry for the snake be subjected to that. The baby grabs it and its obviously annoyed and in discomfort

Dan McDermott says:

#6 I agree.

What is exotic and frightening to one group is normal and familiar to another. I have a Virginia state park in my backyard and have seen virtually every type of local wildlife imaginable from my back deck. A black bear took my neighbor’s trash into the woods once. (We wish he would come back weekly!) Coyotes are running around at night. You can hear them howl. I saw pictures of mountain lion tracks taken within a couple of hundred yards of my place.

Once, a snake curled up under a shirt that was on the sink counter in my bathroom. We brought it outside. I must admit, having grown up overseas, I always shake my shoes out and shake out my shirts and pants before putting them on and lift up my covers and pillow for a look before getting into bed.

I think a lot of our fear comes from the movies. We grew up thinking tarantulas and scorpions would kill you. In truth, healthy adults would be hard-pressed to die from an encounter from either, although if I had to choose, I’d rather be bitten by a tarantula.

rex says:

Hi John,

I lived in India for 10 years. The middle class neighbourhood outside of Bangalore where I had my house was infested with cobras – I’d often find them sleeping on my front doorstep in the morning. Vemonous, yes, but a afraid of people, and they would quickly slither away as soon as they saw me.

The cobra in the video is a pet – defanged and harmless. There are millions of pet cobras like this in India. What may seem sick and disturbing to you is just another kid playing with “Fluffy.”

*wingz* says:

Why is this crap back again? Please John – just get over it and pull it down forever.

Claire says:

The snake obviously is not tame and feels very threatened in this situation hence why it strikes out several times. (even though defanged) so why the hell is it being kept as a pet?

The snake should be respected for the dangerous reptile that it is. Not used as a toy by a child.

It annoys me that people think they can modify animals in this way just for their entertainment. It’s Thoughlesss and wrong.

OhForTheLoveOf says:

#15 – The snake obviously is not tame

Because its a snake. There is no such thing as a tame snake.