King Cobra | 20 Jun 2025
A king cobra from Karnataka’s Pilikula Biological Park, brought to Bhopal’s Van Vihar National Park under an animal exchange programme (2 tigers for 2 cobras) to introduce the species in Madhya Pradesh, has died.
- About King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah): It is the world’s longest venomous snake, with neurotoxic venom that causes muscle paralysis by blocking nerve signals.
- Biological & Behavioral Traits: It is oviparous, the only snake that builds and guards its nest until eggs are hatched, and its venom is used to produce pain relievers like Cobroxin and Nyloxin.
- It is part of the big four responsible for most snakebite deaths in India (with Russell’s viper, saw-scaled viper, common krait).
- It is part of the big four responsible for most snakebite deaths in India (with Russell’s viper, saw-scaled viper, common krait).
- Diet: It primarily preys on other snakes (such as rat snakes, dhamans, and cobras) and is diurnal, meaning it is active during the day.
- Habitat: It is found in rainforests, bamboo thickets, mangroves, high-altitude grasslands, and near rivers, with a range spanning India, southern China, and Southeast Asia.
- Conservation Status:
- IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
- CITES: Appendix II
- Wildlife Protection Act (1972): Schedule II
- Biological & Behavioral Traits: It is oviparous, the only snake that builds and guards its nest until eggs are hatched, and its venom is used to produce pain relievers like Cobroxin and Nyloxin.
- About Van Vihar National Park: Van Vihar National Park, located in Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), lies next to the Upper Lake (Bada Talab), a Ramsar Site and part of the Bhoj Wetland.
- It serves as a rescue centre for lions, tigers, sloth bears, and other animals saved from circuses and conflict zones.
- The park is also a Conservation Breeding Centre for the Hard Ground Barasingha and Gyps vultures.
| Read More: Ophiophagus Kaalinga |