Samrudhdi Kerkar
From my earliest days, I was taught to live in harmony with wildlife. Growing up in a village nestled at the foothills of the majestic Western Ghats, I was fortunate to be surrounded by nature and its many creatures in their undisturbed habitat. Trees, birds, reptiles, insects—everything around me felt alive and interconnected. Nature wasn’t just a backdrop; it was a teacher, a companion, and an integral part of daily life.
One memory that still shines brightly is from the festival of Nag Panchami, a day dedicated to serpent worship in Indian culture. On that occasion, our home was visited by renowned herpetologist and conservationist Nilimkumar Khaire, fondly known as Anna. He arrived in a specially designed vehicle as part of a snake awareness campaign, aiming to dispel myths and spread knowledge about these often misunderstood reptiles.
What made the day unforgettable was the creature he brought along—a King Cobra, safely enclosed in a cage. As I stood before this powerful reptile, I was filled with awe and an inexplicable desire to get closer. I pleaded with my father to let me hold it, unaware of the danger such a request carried.
The King Cobra, the world’s longest venomous snake, commands both fear and respect. I had no training, no experience, and no understanding of the risks. Yet the thrill of being near it overwhelmed everything else. Finally, Anna gently explained the risks and persuaded me to wait and learn first. That encounter sparked a lifelong curiosity about the King Cobra.
Later, my father gifted me Snakes of India by Romulus Whitaker, a revered figure in herpetology. Meeting him in person only deepened my fascination.
The King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) can reach up to 18 feet in length and thrives in the dense forests and plains of India, southern China, and Southeast Asia. True to its name—Ophiophagus, or snake-eater—its diet consists mainly of other snakes, including rat snakes, kraits, and even other cobras. Interestingly, despite its name, the King Cobra doesn’t belong to the true cobra family (Naja naja), though it shares the dramatic hooded display.
In Goa, the King Cobra’s natural habitat is under threat. Evergreen forests that once were its sanctuary are being cleared for large-scale cashew plantations. This not only destroys forest cover and bamboo groves but also disrupts water sources.
One overlooked consequence is the altered food web. Discarded cashew apples attract rodents, whose population grows near human settlements—followed by the snakes that prey on them, including King Cobras. As a result, these elusive reptiles are now venturing closer to human habitations.
In recent years, two King Cobras have been rescued from my village alone—a startling reminder of how deeply our actions affect wildlife.
