LAHORE, July 26: Jallo Park, a recreational place along the city canal, has become a haunt of deadly snakes, but despite the death of a forest department driver caused by cobra bite no measures have been taken to warn the visitors of the danger or to treat a possible victim.

A number of snake-bite incidents have been reported in the park, and recently a driver lost his life when bitten by a cobra while peeing close to a bamboo cluster. The death has terrorised the park staff.

However, visitors are still unaware of the lurking threat.

Park’s wildlife Director Anwar Maan, confirming presence of deadly snakes there, said these reptiles often remained hidden in thick bushes, tree roots and under different natural covers.

Recently, he said, the park staff had found a pair of cobras under a heap of bricks being loaded on a trolley.

The director said snake-bite incidents had been reported in the park and animals were more exposed to such accidents. Some deer, including a chinkara and a hog deer, had fallen a prey to snake bite, he added.

A park official, on the condition of anonymity, told Dawn that the cobras who killed the driver had become aggressive and chase away those who accidentally tress passed their territory.

A snake charmer said snakes were abundant in the park. “Recently I caught three cobras and put them in the snake house of the park.”

He said he always carried with him a herbal medicine to cure snake bite. Mr Maan said the forest department had surveyed the bamboo cluster that had concentration of snakes and was planning to chop it off.

Sadly, in the entire park there was no signboard to caution the visitors against snakes.

When asked what measures the park management had taken to warn people of snakes, the director said it was the job of the forest department.