People Can Witness King Cobras In Van Vihar Brought Under Animal Exchange Programme

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The long wait of local residents to see the most poisonous king cobra snakes is going to be over as Van Vihar authorities have decided to allow people to watch two king cobras (both males) from Saturday. The length of one king cobra snake is 10.5 feet while another measures 9.5 feet.

The chief minister Mohan Yadav had inaugurated their enclosure on Thursday night. One cobra is four-year-old and the other is eight-year-old.

King cobras eat only snakes of other species. It is so venomous that its bite can kill anyone within minutes and so far, no anti-dote of its venom has been made.

This is for the first time in Madhya Pradesh that two king cobra snakes have been brought in any national park wherein people can see them in their enclosures. The Van Vihar authorities hope to see a rise in footfalls with arrival of mighty reptiles.

Animal exchange programme

It was under animal exchange programme that Van Vihar National Park authorities had brought two male king cobra snakes from Pilikula Biological Park, Karnataka, in April. It agreed to give a pair of tiger to Karnataka in lieu of two male king cobras, which were brought on CM’s insistence.

Turtles released

Sources said that during his visit to Van Vihar National Park, chief minister released six Indian rescued, soft shell turtles in Upper Lake. He was supposed to release 10 of them. The remaining rescued turtles were released by forest officials.