Rare female king cobra dies in zoo

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A rare 12-foot long female king cobra, which was under treatment at the government zoological park here, died on Thursday evening.

The reptile had been under treatment for ulcer in the mouth, but the immediate cause of death was congestion in the lungs, a zoo official said.

Belonging to the highly endangered 'ophiophagus hanna' species, the snake, named Irena, was brought here a year back after it was spotted and caught from a cottage near the Moozhiyar Power Project in Idukki district.

It was a fully-grown adult when it was brought to the zoo. A few weeks back, it developed some problems in the mouth and lost one of its fangs. Since then, it had steadily lost its appetite and been reluctant to take food.

The snake-eating king cobras are listed as highly endangered species by the wildlife department. In Kerala, they are found in the upland forest areas of Wayanad and Idukki.

Known for their majestic appearance, sprawling hood and bright spectacle mark, the king cobra is a highly venomous creature, which can scare away humans and other animals simply by its hiss.

A post-mortem was conducted before the carcass was disposed.