Acting on a report from a concerned citizen and a viral video showing the poor condition of a cobra, who was reportedly mutilated and tortured by a man, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India worked with Ballia police and the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department to get a first information report (FIR) registered against the alleged perpetrator.

The culprit has also been arrested, police here on Tuesday said.

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Cobras are protected under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act (WPA), 1972. The FIR was registered under sections 9 and 51 of the WPA, 1972. The offence is non-bailable and is punishable by three to seven years in jail and a minimum fine of Rs 25,000.

“This cobra was forced to endure a painful, unnecessary death,” says PETA India Cruelty Response Coordinator Sunayana Basu said.

“We thank the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department and Dr Bonik Chandra Brahma, IFS, chief conservator of forests, Eastern Zone, for their swift action in letting the public know that cruelty to animals will not be tolerated. We urge anyone who comes across a snake to call the forest department rather than committing a crime,” she said.