A venomous Russell's viper, five feet long, was found in a paddy field in Bhedarganj, Shariatpur.

The snake was found on Thursday (16 May) morning in the Char Jinking area of Kanchikata union, under Sakhipur police station in the upazila. Farmers then beat it to death with sticks.

According to locals and eyewitnesses, the Russell's viper (chandrabora) was first seen in Kanchikata in 2020, after which the species spread across the upazila. Its menace has eased somewhat, but people still often kill the snakes.

Local farmer Billal Hossain of Char Jinking was harvesting paddy on his land with several labourers from Thursday morning when he saw the snake coiled up. He screamed in fear, and other farmers nearby came and beat it to death.

"While cutting paddy I saw the Russell's viper sitting coiled up. I knew this snake is very venomous, so I cried out in fear. Then the other farmers with me killed it," Billal Hossain said.

Dr Suman Kumar Poddar, Bhedarganj upazila health and family planning officer, said venomous snakes have become much more common in the area than before, but antivenom is stocked at the upazila health complex. A snakebite patient can be saved if brought to hospital quickly, he said.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.