Two king cobras at Vandalur zoo

King cobra, the world’s largest venomous snake, is an endangered reptile that is endemic to the rain forests of Western Ghats. Despite being the largest zoo in Asia, the Vandalur Zoo did not have a king cobra after the 13-year-old cobra there died five years ago.

A few months ago, a pair of king cobra was brought to the zoo under an animal exchange programme from the Pilikula zoo in Karnataka with the permission of Central Zoo Authority. In exchange, two wild cows from here were given to Pilikula zoo. The cobras were being monitored for a few months before keeping them on display for the public on Friday.

The snakes were put inside a separate enclosure, with a cage designed with rocks and artificial fountains.