Show runs into trouble over cobra pics

The anti-poaching unit of the Thane forest department inspected the set of Nagarjun, a daily soap, after an Instagram picture of its actors holding a cobra went viral. These pictures show some actors holding schedule I spectacled cobra made the department rush to the sets of the daily soap where the management insisted that they had used special effects to display the snakes.

However, the anti-poaching unit is still investigating into the matter.

The photos and videos went viral on social media on October 17. A few activists had then alerted the forest department about actors posing with a ‘spectacled cobra’ wound around their neck and hands. The forest department officials then visited the Film City and handed over an official letter to the senior authorities in the production house.

The management, during an official interaction, claimed that all the images and videos seen in the app ‘instagram’ were not real and were created using special effects and graphics by the creative team of the production. According to these posts, the actors posed in the manner in order to advertise their completion of 100 episodes.

Suresh Darade, divisional forest officer (DFO) of Thane anti-poaching unit said, “We have inspected the set and according to the team that visited the set all the snakes were artificial with special effects”

However, Pawan Sharma, founder of Resqink Association of Wildlife Welfare (RAWW), who was part of the forest department team, said such representations would add to the human-reptile conflicts in the country.

“The snake in the photo looks absolutely real. The manner in which the industry has represented one of the top venomous snakes of India may provoke somebody to imitate the actions with a real reptile and add to the human-reptile conflict management challenges,” said Mr Sharma.

Besides being a venomous snakes, spectacled cobra is a protected species under our laws.

The case however is being followed up with the Forest Department, Committee to Monitor Animal Welfare Laws in the State and The Bird and Animal Committee, both appointed by the Bombay high court.

Meanwhile, Meet Ashar, honorary animal welfare officer, said the reaction of the Animal Welfare Board Of India would be out by Tuesday.