Attention, stand at ease, run for your life! Snake sends Police trainees packing

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: "Attention... Stand at ease!" Following the platoon leader's command, the police trainees began their drill in perfect synchronization. Suddenly, a shout rang out from behind: "Ayo, a snake!"

Does the law of the parade ground outweigh the fear for one’s life? In an instant, every lesson in courage, concentration, discipline, and timing was forgotten. The trainees scattered in all directions.

The incident occurred at the Thycaud Police Training College during a routine parade session when a Rat Snake (Chera) made an uninvited appearance. While many ran thinking it was a venomous snake, reports suggest that even those who recognised it as a harmless Rat Snake didn't stick around to say hello.

As the footage of the trainees bolting reached social media, the trolls went into overdrive, and the video quickly went viral. It seems the rising summer heat—and the recent influx of news regarding snake bites across the state—had already sown a seed of paranoia, which bloomed into full-blown chaos on the parade ground.