GUWAHATI: A King Cobra measuring around 10 feet, was recently rescued recently by the Forest Department authorities assisted by the Wildlife Trust of India—International Fund for Animal Welfare (WTI—IFAW) team, in Panijuri village near Kaziranga National Park, Assam.
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A late-night visit from a massive approx. 10-foot-long King Cobra left a family in Panijuri village of Burapahar range, Kaziranga National Park, in shock.
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Identified as an adult male, the highly venomous snake was discovered coiled behind an almirah on Sunday night. The residents immediately alerted the Range Forest Officer, who in turn contacted the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation & Conservation (CWRC) team, jointly run by the Assam Forest Department, WTI & IFAW, for emergency help.
Two of their rescuers rushed to the location and retrieved the cobra using necessary snake-handling equipment. It was later brought to CWRC for examination.
Talking to the media, Bhaskar Choudhury, Division Head, Wild Rescue and Head Vet NE, WTI said, “We will be micro chipping the snake before releasing it back into the wild. So far we have released 27 king cobras back to their original habitat and micro chipped 5 individuals for identification purposes.”
"We are thankful to the public for refraining from hostility towards the snake and, instead, choosing to close the doors and windows of the house while awaiting our rescue team," he further added.
The WTI—IFAW team has handled a total of 36 King cobras in the northeast since the initiation of their rescue operations in 2002.
The King cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is the world’s longest venomous snake and can grow up to a length of over 18 feet. It is also the only snake species that builds nests on the ground where it lays eggs. In India, it is primarily found in the Western Ghats, Orissa, Bengal, and Assam in addition to other areas including the Terai landscape.