A 70-year-old woman from a village in Pune has left the internet speechless for her fearless handling of a snake – all in an effort to educate others.

Shakuntala Sutar calmly picked up a non-venomous rat snake that had wandered into the premises of her house. Instead of calling for a snake rescuer, she chose to take matters into her own hands, quite literally.

“She held it without fear because it wasn’t poisonous,” her son Ganesh Sutar explained, adding: “My mother wanted to show people that not all snakes are dangerous.”

In a video of the moment that has gone viral, the grandmother can be seen lifting the snake with her bare hands and even wrapping it gently around her neck.

Her intent, her family said, was to raise awareness and dispel the fear many people have towards snakes – especially those that pose no threat to humans.

The rat snake, locally known as Dhaman, is a non-venomous species commonly found in India. Harmless to humans, it plays a vital role in controlling rodent populations.

(With inputs from Omkar Wable)

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