Odisha: Stray dog kills cobra, saving 30 children's lives
What's the story
A stray dog, Kali, has become a local hero in Dhirakula village of Odisha's Mayurbhanj district after she sacrificed her life to save over 30 kindergarten children from a venomous snake. The incident took place on Monday morning when the children were sitting outside Sri Jagannath Sishu Vidya Mandir studying. The snake approached them, but before any adult could intervene, Kali sensed the danger and rushed to protect the kids.
Fierce fight
How the incident unfolded
Kali bravely fought the snake, putting herself between the reptile and the children. Villagers said she fought fiercely, even as the snake bit her multiple times on her mouth. Despite getting severely injured, Kali didn't back down and eventually killed the snake, ensuring no child was harmed in this process. However, she succumbed to snake venom soon after killing it.
Twitter Post
Visuals from Mayurbhanj
#WATCH | Mayurbhanj, Odisha: In an incident, Kali, a stray dog, saved the lives of 30 kindergarten children from a venomous cobra in Dhirakula village, Mayurbhanj district. Kali lunged at the snake, successfully killing it, but sustained fatal bites. The community honoured Kali… pic.twitter.com/QhxtooW9G6
— ANI (@ANI) April 24, 2026
Final rites
Villagers bid adieu to Kali with full honor
"We were trying to chase it away. But Kali was sitting there and pounced on the snake. It clung to it, preventing it from going near the children...After several hours, Kali passed away," school owner Ramesh Chandra Prusty told ANI. For her sacrifice, villagers gave her a farewell that is usually reserved for humans on Thursday. They covered her body with a white cloth, decorated it with flowers, and took it on a funeral procession around the village before burial.
Strays
Stray dog problem in India
Stray animals, primarily dogs but sometimes cattle and monkeys, are regarded as a persistent nuisance in many parts of India, where they are frequently blamed for attacks on people, crop destruction, and road accidents. This is blamed on a mix of issues, including inadequacies in sterilizing and vaccination efforts, garbage piling up, abandoned animals, dwindling forest habitats and uneven enforcement of legislation. Last year, the Supreme Court ordered authorities to remove stray dogs from public places like hospitals and schools.