Watch: Snake falls on man carrying child at Maharashtra waterfall

Dubai: A family outing at a popular Maharashtra waterfall turned terrifying when a large snake suddenly fell from above and landed on the shoulder of a man carrying a small child.

The frightening moment, reportedly filmed at Amboli Waterfall in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district, was captured on video and has since gone viral.

The footage shows the man carefully carrying the child across the wet, rocky terrain as other family members stand nearby at the base of the waterfall.

Without warning, a large snake drops from the rocks above and lands across the man’s shoulder, just inches from the child in his arms.

Screams immediately erupt as the startled family members scramble away. The snake slips from the man and onto the rocks before disappearing into a crevice.

“Run, it’s a big cobra,” one person can be heard shouting in the video.

However, the snake’s species has not been officially confirmed, and there were no reports of anyone being bitten or injured in the encounter.

Amboli, located in the biodiversity-rich Western Ghats, is a popular monsoon destination known for its waterfalls and lush vegetation. The region is also home to numerous species of snakes, both venomous and non-venomous.

Warnings

The dramatic encounter has prompted warnings about the risks of getting too close to rocks, dense vegetation and crevices around waterfalls, particularly during wet weather when wildlife may seek shelter in such areas.

Visitors are advised not to put their hands into rock crevices or thick vegetation where visibility is poor. If a snake is spotted, people should keep their distance and allow it to move away rather than attempting to catch or kill it.

Social media users reacting to the video pointed to the family's narrow escape, particularly as the man was carrying a young child when the snake landed on him.

The incident ended without injury, but the few seconds captured on camera turned what appeared to be a peaceful family outing into a terrifying encounter.