A Frightening Experience with a Cobra!

Yesterday afternoon, the weather was fine and the sky was clear. I decided to take some photos of the sunset in the beach. So, after supper, I set off with my camera and photographic equipment to Labrador beach.

As we know, we have to go through the Labrador Natural Reserve, which is like a virgin forest with many species of animals, to reach the Labrador beach. There are many routes for you to go through, some are paved with planks and protected by the guardrails by two sides, and they are also relatively wider; but some are paved by concrete with trees and grasses and any other plants surrounded. They don’t have guardrails, either, which makes you feel like in a natural narrow path.

I didn’t want to always follow one familiar way, so I decided to explore a new one to go down to the beach. Consequently and unfortunately, I somehow got to a “natural path”. Walking on the path, I found some strange sounds all the way. But I didn’t pay much attention to that; I just think it probably the sound of the rustling of the leaves or some small animals such as birds, monkeys or squirrels moving. I failed to realize what I was going to face until I reached an intersection. I heard a louder noise behind me which seems like something was moving towards me. So, I turned to look what was that. Oh, my god, what I saw almost frightened me to death, a big black cobra, which had reared up and spread his neck, flicking its tongue towards me. And it was only half a metre away from me. If it wanted to, it could bite me at will. Looking back now, I know that state of cobra is regarded as the attacking state and in such a situation, I had better stay still, otherwise there would be a big possibility that I became the target of the cobra. However, at that very moment, there was no room in my brain to think. The instinct led me to run at the fastest speed I could reach all the way down to the beach. I was so frightened that I dare not look back when running. Finally, after a frightened sprint, I got to the beach. Thank goodness, maybe I was not attractive enough or the cobra thought itself not big enough to eat me, it didn’t chase. Sitting on the bench at the seaside of Labrador, I still was not totally recovered from the fright just now. What if I was bitten? What if it chased after me? I was alone at that time; I even couldn’t find someone to help me.

Before this experience, I could never imagine I would meet with a cobra somewhere apart from zoos. Actually, there have been some of my friends who told me that they saw snakes nearby, but I just ignore their reminders. I should have paid attention to these potential hazards since I had come to a tropical country that is diverse in tropical animals, of course, cobra included. Now, after this “adventure”, I am more aware of the importance of self-protection. And hereby I also want to remind my fellows, dangers truly exist, watch out for them, watch out for the cobras!