A man visiting a waterfall with his family had a frightening experience when, as he walked near the falls with a small child in his arms, a large snake suddenly fell from above onto his shoulder. The incident caused panic among tourists at the spot.

It happened at Amboli waterfall in the Sahyadri hills of Sindhudurg district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. During the monsoon the waterfall becomes one of the most popular destinations for tourists.

A video of the incident has spread on social media. It shows the man carrying the child across slippery rocks, with other members of his family visible behind him under the falls.

Everything seemed normal until a large snake dropped from the rocks above straight onto the shoulder of the man holding the child. Before he could react, the snake slid off his body to the ground, slipped into a small gap in the rocks and later moved away.

People nearby could be seen shouting and moving away quickly. The man holding the child was also frightened by the snake's sudden appearance. One person in the video can be heard shouting: "A very big snake! It's a cobra." The species of the snake, however, could not be confirmed.

After the video spread, the safety of tourists at waterfalls and in hill areas during the monsoon has come under fresh discussion. Heavy rain makes rocks and soil slippery, and wild animals may shelter in thick vegetation, gaps between rocks and holes.

Tourists are therefore advised to stay alert in such places, especially near dense vegetation, rock crevices and bushes. Keeping a safe distance while visiting waterfalls and hill areas in the monsoon is important to avoid such unwanted incidents while enjoying nature.

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