The Forest Department on Friday released a female king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) in a new habitat after it was caught twice from a village near Narasipuram of Coimbatore district.
Officials said the 13-foot-long king cobra was released in a natural habitat on the way to Siruvani, seven km away from where it was caught.
The snake was found inside a shed in an agricultural field at Narasipuram on Friday. After alerted by villagers, Pooluvapattu forest range officer Arokiasamy contacted snake handler K. Santhosh Kumar to rescue the snake.
Mr. Kumar had rescued the snake from the same village and released it in a forest area near Vaidehi Falls on June 14.
“As the snake strayed into the village again, it was released in another natural habitat on the way to Siruvani based on directions from the District Forest Officer,” said Mr. Arokiaraj.
Mr. Kumar had also caught two other king cobras from Narasipuram – a 16-foot-long male snake in November 2019 and a 14-foot-long female snake in April this year.
Apart from disturbances in habitats caused by human interventions, presence of rat snakes in agricultural fields is also said to force king cobras to stray into villages.
Rat snake is one of the favourite meals of king cobras, diet of which mostly constitutes other snakes.
You have reached your limit for free articles this month.
To get full access, please subscribe.
Already have an account ? Sign in
Show Less Plan
Subscription Benefits Include
Today's Paper
Find mobile-friendly version of articles from the day's newspaper in one easy-to-read list.
Faster pages
Move smoothly between articles as our pages load instantly.
Unlimited Access
Enjoy reading as many articles as you wish without any limitations.
Dashboard
A one-stop-shop for seeing the latest updates, and managing your preferences.
Personalised recommendations
A select list of articles that match your interests and tastes.
Briefing
We brief you on the latest and most important developments, three times a day.
*Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper ,crossword, iPhone, iPad mobile applications and print. Our plans enhance your reading experience.
A letter from the Editor
Dear subscriber,
Thank you!
Your support for our journalism is invaluable. It’s a support for truth and fairness in journalism. It has helped us keep apace with events and happenings.
The Hindu has always stood for journalism that is in the public interest. At this difficult time, it becomes even more important that we have access to information that has a bearing on our health and well-being, our lives, and livelihoods. As a subscriber, you are not only a beneficiary of our work but also its enabler.
We also reiterate here the promise that our team of reporters, copy editors, fact-checkers, designers, and photographers will deliver quality journalism that stays away from vested interest and political propaganda.
Suresh Nambath
