11-ft Long King Cobra Rescued from House in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Residents of Bangra village under Baripada forest division in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district on Monday evening spent some anxious moments after they found a an 11-foot long King Cobra snake from the house of one Srikant Nayak, reports said on Tuesday.

According to local Pithabata forest range officer Srikanta Mohanty, at around 6.30 pm on Monday, the villagers spotted the King Cobra in the house of Srikant Nayak. They got panic stricken as the reptile, known for its aggressive behavior, stood tall almost on its tell and hissed alarmingly.

On being informed, the forest officials immediately sent out a team along with some experienced snake rescuers to the village. After hours of efforts, the rescuers succeeded in trapping the snake.

The venomous snake was released into the Dukra wildlife range in the district on Tuesday morning, the forest range officer said.

“The snake was safely rescued from the house of Srikant Nayak. As per Nayak, the snake had entered his house while chasing a monitor lizard,” Mohanty added.

Sharing details about the rescued snake, the forest official said, “The snake was 11 ft long and weighed 6.7 kgs. After examination by a local veterinarian, the snake was released into its natural habitat today morning.”

According to experts, King cobras are apex predators that primarily eat other snakes, lizards, birds and eggs. King cobras also eat small mammals.

“Study says King cobras have a slow metabolic rate, so they eat large amounts of food in a short time and then stop eating for months. Their stomachs are designed to destroy the venom molecules of other snakes,” informed Padman Patra, a resident of Muniguda in Kalahandi district.

A large number of King cobras are seen in the Muniguda area located at the foothills of the biodiversity-rich Niyamgiril hills.