Shivamogga: Displaying great conservation instincts, a farmer’s family in Kanagalu, Thirthahalli did not get alarmed on spotting a King Cobra building a nest in its areca plantation, but instead helped researcher, Ajay Giri, monitor the nest which saw 15 tiny King Cobras emerge on August 9.
Alerted by the barking of his dog, farmer Krishnamurthy, who was working in his fields, spotted the King Cobra, a highly venomous snake, building its nest in his areca plantation a couple of months ago. Mr Ajay Giri, an education officer with the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station, was called in but by then the King Cobra had laid eggs in the nest.
On his advice one or the other family member kept tabs on the nest at regular intervals and constantly updated him. Mr Giri too regularly visited the nest and installed cameras around it to capture the hatching of the eggs. He also made sure the area was fenced to protect the eggs from damage and predators. Once the naturally incubated eggs hatched on August 9, the newborn King Cobras were released about 100 metres from the nesting area in the presence of forest officials. Elated at the birth of the King Cobras on their plantation, Vinay (34), a family member, said, “We feared that the nest built on a slope could be washed away in the rain, but that did not happen and the eggs hatched safely.”
Appreciating the role of the Krishnamurthy family, Mr Giri advised people against panicking if a snake strayed into their backyard. “Just call the conservationist of the area and the forest department for proper handling of the situation,” he suggested.
