WATCH: Locals refuse to handover mythical two-headed snake

Two-headed snakes are rare to be spotted and one of them found in India was let go by locals declaring it as mythical. 

According to reports in Indian media, the wildlife officials said a two-headed snake was discovered in a village, but locals refused to turn the serpent over because they believe it has mythological meaning.

Forest Department officials said the two-headed monocled cobra, a venomous species, was discovered in Midnapore City, Bengal.

Kaustav Chakraborty, a Forest Department herpetologist, said villagers refused to turn the cobra over to the department because they believe the two-headed creature holds mythological significance.

“This is totally a biological issue like a human being can have two heads or thumbs similarly this snake has two heads. This doesn’t have to do anything related to mythological belief. The longevity of such species increases by keeping them in captivity. The life span of this snake can be increased if it is preserved,” he told Indian media.

Read More: Family finds rare two headed snake in garden

In September 2019, a rare, two-headed timber rattlesnake was recently found by environmentalists in a New Jersey forest.

The 10-inch-long newborn — named Double Dave — has two fully formed heads with independent brains, but a single body.

The rattlesnake was discovered last month by environmentalists from the Herpetological Associates group, who study endangered and threatened reptiles.

Two of the company’s employees, Dave Schneider and Dave Burkett, were checking out a nest in Burlington County on Aug 25 where a timber rattlesnake was giving birth late last month and spotted the critter.