12-Foot King Cobra Rescued From Karnataka Home, Released Into Wild: WATCH

Wildlife officials in Karnataka rescued a 12-foot-long king cobra from a house compound. The snake was returned to its habitat after being gently captured.

A giant 12-foot-long king cobra was rescued by wildlife officials in Karnataka's Agumbe village earlier this week and was successfully returned to its wild habitat. Ajay Giri, the field director at Agumbe Rainforest Research Station (ARRS), shared the video of the thrilling on Instagram.

Giri said the venomous snake was crossing a road when it was disturbed by spectators and took refuge in a bush within a house's compound, from where it was rescued.

“A king cobra (~12ft long) was sighted crossing a main road, the snake got disturbed by spectators and took refuge on a bush inside a compound of a house. The owner of the house and neighbours got worried and informed in-charge forest department officials. ARRS was informed about the situation,” Giri wrote in his post along with the rescue video. 

The gripping footage shared by Giri showed snake rescuers gently removing the snake from the house premises.

The rainforest field director said that after receiving the information, ARRS staff promptly sprang into action recognizing the danger to both residents and the snake. 

"Over the call we instructed locals about do’s and don’t’s and rushed to the location. After the inspection we decided to bag the snake. The snake was gently bagged. We conducted onsite awareness program for locals, distributed informative materials. Later the snake was released into the wild in the presence of locals and in-charge forest department officials,” he added.

In the video, the majestic snake can be seen sitting on a tree before the team of forest officials caught it and prompted it to move into a rescue bag, fitted with a cylindrical pipe-like object into one end to help the snake slither into the bag. The bag was sealed and weighed before the King Cobra was taken to the forest and released. 

The rescue video garnered a lot of reactions online, with many social media users commending the team for their gentle and compassionate approach. 

The king cobra is the world's longest venomous snake. It can grow up to 18 feet and is predominantly found in the forests of India, Southeast Asia, and parts of East Asia.