Woman finds live cobra in Amazon’s Xbox package

Venomous snake found stuck to packaging tape in Xbox delivery

File: A venomous spectacled cobra, also known as Indian cobra (Naja Naja) or white cobra, is seen near a painting inside its enclosure at the Kamla Nehru Zoological Garden in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on 30 January 2019 (AFP via Getty Images)

A customer in India received an unusual delivery – a live cobra – inside a box along with an Xbox controller she had ordered in the southern city of Bengaluru.

The venomous snake was stuck to the packaging tape of the Amazon India delivery and couldn’t harm her.

The woman named Tanvi, who goes by the handle @Tanvxo on X, wrote on 17 June: “Ordered an Xbox controller from @amazonIN and received a free snake with it!”

She managed to capture a video of the incident and share it on social media, prompting widespread concern from other Indians.

The snake, identified as a spectacled cobra native to Karnataka state, was safely captured and released, according to a report by NDTV.

Amazon India responded by apologising and stating they were investigating the incident, emphasising customer safety as a priority.

On X, the company wrote in response to the Bengaluru woman’s post: “We’re sorry to know about the inconvenience you’ve had with the Amazon order. We’d like to have this checked.” The company asked her to share more details and promised “our team will get back to you soon with an update”.

The woman, meanwhile, received a refund but criticised Amazon for negligence, raising concerns about safety in their transportation and warehousing practices. “What did they get for risking their lives with a highly venomous snake? This is a safety breach caused solely by Amazon’s negligence and their poor transportation/warehousing hygiene and supervision,” Tanvi alleged.

Social media users in India reacted with both concern and humour over the unusual delivery. One wrote: “So Amazon is now delivering cobra as well, that’s why Amazon is the leader in online shopping.”

Another user joked: “I also have an Amazon order coming this evening... Need to find a snake catcher now.”

More recently, Amazon workers in an Indian warehouse were allegedly forced to pledge not to take any breaks, including for water or bathroom use, until they met their targets, even as the country faced an unprecedented heatwave.

With temperatures exceeding 50C, workers at Amazon India’s Manesar warehouse in Haryana reported struggling with hazardous working conditions that they claim management ignored.

In a statement to The Independent, Amazon India said: “The safety of our customers, employees and associates is a top priority for us. We take all customer complaints seriously and are investigating this incident.”