10-Foot King Cobra Rescued From Storage Room In Udharbond’s Tikol Village by Barak Valley Wildlife Division

A 10-foot-long male king cobra that slithered into a storage room in Tikol village in Udharbond area of Cachar triggered panic among locals on Saturday (May 24) evening. A huge crowd had gathered near the home, and a distress call was made to the Barak Valley Wildlife Division.

Wildlife conservationist and popular snake rescuer Trikal Chakrabarty, along with his team from the Barak Valley Wildlife Division, including Abani Kumar Pegu and Sabir Ahmed Laskar, responded to the distress call. After two hours of careful effort, the team safely rescued the venomous snake.

Speaking to Barak Bulletin, Chakrabarty said, “The male king cobra had entered the storage room of a local resident. It had got beside a pile of firewood kept in the storage room, so it was difficult to rescue it. So we had to get all the wood out of the room and then proceed. Even then, it was very difficult to handle the snake given its aggressive nature. So it took us around more than 2 hours to rescue the King Cobra”.

“After rescuing it, we also conducted an awareness session to educate the villagers about the importance and behaviour of this endangered species”, further mentioned Chakrabarty

The king cobra was later released back into its natural habitat.

The king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is the world’s longest venomous snake and can grow up to 18 feet. Despite their fearsome reputation, king cobras are shy and avoid confrontation. Their venom, while not the most toxic, can deliver a large quantity in a single bite—enough to kill an elephant or 20 humans. They primarily feed on other snakes and are crucial to maintaining ecological balance.

In India, the king cobra is protected under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, making it illegal to harm or capture them without proper authorisation. The successful rescue and release of this record-breaking reptile into its natural habitat is being hailed as a landmark moment for wildlife conservation efforts in the Barak Valley.