Snake-like earthworm spotted in Kamjong district
Source: Chronicle News Service / R Lester Makang

Ukhrul, October 30 2023: A bizarre creature resembling a snake was recently spotted in Kamjong district.

The creature, which is believed to be Kharar Kajai in Tangkhul (wild earthworm), was found crawling in a forested areas near Maku junction, about 30 km south-west of Kamjong district headquarters.

The creature was spotted by a group of travellers, who came back from Kamjong town.

"At first glance, we thought it was a snake but on closer look, it turned out to be Kharar Kajai," said social activist Hungyohung, who was among the witnesses.

According to the witness, the creature which was sighted crawling on the ground in several numbers, was almost three feet or even longer and possessed a scaly, dark green skin.

He said that for the other witnesses it was the first time they had ever seen it.

The creature is thought to be the largest of its kind, with an estimated length of 1 metre and a girth as big as the pointer finger.

He said that the creature is said to ooze a milky white liquid from its body on being poked with a stick or pointed objects and the liquid is said to be poisonous and can even cause blindness.

Hungyohung said that he could identify the creature as he had once sighted it at Ngainga forest way back in the 1980s.Meanwhile, Athing, a local of Shangshak Khullen village in Ukhrul district, said that he had also seen the creature himself in his native place some years back.

"It s a rare kind of worm and is occasionally seen near areas where Ngathashon (wild bamboo shoots) grow," he said.

Although the worm looks like a snake, it lacks mobility and a head, tail, or eyes.

"This has led some locals to speculate that it could be a mutated earthworm," he added.

In recent times, there have been no other reported sightings of this type of creature in Kamjong and Ukhrul districts.

Hungyohung believed that the discovery may help unlock unknown secrets about the region's biodiversity.

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