Puducherry airport: The viper was later given to forest department officials
A highly venomous snake was found in the VIP lounge of Puducherry airport, prompting the chairman of the Airports Authority of India to rush out from the room where he was sitting for a meeting.
The snake was later identified as a viper, whose large hinged fangs can deliver a potent venom.
Airports Authority of India chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra first saw the six-feet-long snake slithering under a couch and immediately informed other officials in the room.
After they cleared the room in a hurry, a woman who worked with the airport support staff tried to drive out the reptile with a mop, officials said.
A police constable soon joined her in trying to force the snake out of the room. Eventually, he managed to catch the snake.
Airport officials said the snake, which was later given to forest department staff, may have come from a thicket near the airport.
Puducherry airport officials said the snake may have come from a thicket near the airport.
The police constable, D Thiagou, of the Indian Reserve Battalion has been awarded with cash and a certificate acknowledging his act of bravery by Director General of Police SK Gautam.
The support staffer who tried to chase away the snake will also be honoured, airport officials said.
It is not uncommon to find snakes hiding in dark places inside buildings at areas near forests and thick vegetation, wildlife experts say.
For example, in May, the maintenance staff at the Indian Oil apartments in Noida found a five-foot snake stuck in a crevice while cleaning the building. The reptile was later identified as a diadem snake, which are not deadly to humans. They coil up and hiss under stressful situations but rarely bite. That snake too had come from a nearby thicket.