The King Cobra is one of the world’s most venomous snakes and the longest venomous snake on Earth. One bite of the King Cobra can kill 20 adults or even an elephant in a matter of minutes.
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True to its name, the King Cobra sits proudly on the top of the food chain and is known as one of the greatest predators in the entire animal world. Yet there are people who do not fear the emperor of the snakes.
King Cobras are common in India. They reside in the forests and often slither into any of the human habitations adjoining the forests. But they generally avoid conflict with humans.
Bengaluru and neighbouring towns, which rely on Cauvery water, have started facing water shortage. Ramakrishna Math/Flicker
So when a 12-foot-long King Cobra entered the small town of Kaiga in Karnataka’s drought-hit Uttara Kannada region, it alarmed the locals. The villagers did not chase or beat it to death – as is normal in Indian villages; they called in the forest officials.
The officials and the villagers discovered why the huge snake had entered the village – it was thirsty. The drought was not only hitting the people hard, it was also killing animals.
Seeing its plight, the officials decided to offer water to the King Cobra. (That in itself is one of the bravest things to do. You have to be a daredevil to feed one of the world’s most venomous snakes.)
A video of the incident shows an official pouring water to the thirsty King Cobra and the reptile gulping every drop of it. Two other men stand at hand – one holding the tail of the King Cobra and another ready with a snake catcher stick just to be safe.
