On Camera, Cop Tries To Save Snake's Life By "Giving It CPR"

A Madhya Pradesh constable has made headlines, thanks to a viral video that shows him trying to give CPR to a snake. Yes, you read it right. The cop reportedly attempted mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to revive a snake that had become immobile after consuming water laced with pesticide.

The shocking video was widely shared, with many praising the cop for his act. However, the role that this "kiss of life" played in reviving the reptile is suspect. A veterinarian NDTV spoke with said CPR would not revive a snake and it might have regained consciousness on its own.

The viral video is from Narmadapuram in Madhya Pradesh. The non-poisonous snake had entered a pipeline in a residential colony. When the residents' attempts to remove it from inside the pipe failed, they poured water laced with pesticide down the pipe. This knocked the snake out. Unsure of what to do next, the residents called the cops.

Enter constable Atul Sharma, who calls himself a "self-taught snake rescuer". He reached the spot and located the snake. The video shows Mr Sharma examining the snake closely, trying to check if it is breathing. He then starts blowing into the snake's mouth. Occasionally, the cop sprinkles clean water on the reptile as people gathered around him ask him to wash its pesticide-drenched body.

Soon, the snake starts moving as the crowd cheers the cop.

Mr Sharma claims to have saved as many as 500 snakes in the past 15 years. Asked where he learnt to do this, the cop said he follows Discovery Channel closely.