Watch: Forest range officer has narrow escape after python tries crushing him in West Bengal

A forest range officer from Baikunthapur Forest in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri had a near-death experience after a python he had rescued nearly crushed him.

In the video that has since gone viral, Sanjoy Dutta, the range officer, is seen posing with villagers after rescuing the giant reptile. Some locals are even seen taking selfies with him.

All of a sudden, people start screaming after the python wraps itself around Dutta's neck and tries to crush him. The forest official is seen struggling to get the giant reptile off his shoulders, but to no avail. He is then rescued on 2-3 other locals who manage to wrestle off the snake. Meanwhile, most other villagers are seen running away.

Watch the video here.

#WATCH Narrow escape for Sanjoy Dutta, Range Officer of Baikunthapur Forest in Jalpaiguri after a python he rescued from a village almost strangled him to death while he was posing for selfies with locals. #WestBengal pic.twitter.com/KroJHOCOkk

— ANI (@ANI) June 18, 2018

Interestingly, posing with a snake or putting it around the neck and performing other stunts amounts to cruelty, and is an offence under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.  Given the danger that Dutta posed by posing with a snake and asking villagers to take pictures, it is highly likely that he could lose his licence as a forest range officer.

Last May, a Navi Mumbai-based resident became the first person to be booked by the Forest department for these offences. He was also remanded in five days police custody by the Panvel court.