2 king cobras rescued at Ctg University in span of 3 days

A king cobra measuring around 12 feet was rescued from Chittagong University yesterday (12 April), just two days after a similar incident.

The latest snake was rescued at around 4:30pm from an area adjacent to the university's old Faculty of Arts building.

Earlier, on Friday (10 April) at around 8pm, an approximately eight-foot-long venomous king cobra was rescued from a residence in the staff colony behind the Drama and Dramatics Department on campus.

Both rescue operations were carried out by the student-run organisation Society for Snake and Snakebite Awareness (3SA).

Md Imran, a member of 3SA, said a student from the Drama and Dramatics Department contacted their helpline after spotting the snake near the old Faculty of Arts building.

"We reached the spot quickly and managed to safely rescue the snake after about 30 minutes of effort," he said.

The rescued king cobra is about 12 feet long and weighs approximately 6kg, Imran added.

He said the snake rescued on Friday has already been handed over to the Venom Research Centre at Chittagong Medical College.

"The snake rescued today is currently being kept at the university's Zoology Department and will likely be transferred to the same centre tomorrow," Imran said.

He continued, "King cobras usually do not enter human settlements; this is very rare. However, due to the destruction of their natural habitats, they are now being forced into local areas. We need to be cautious about this."

Echoing this concern, Ibrahim Khalil Al Haidar, adviser to 3SA and assistant professor in the Zoology Department, said environmental factors are behind the recent sightings.

"The hills on the western side of the university are being occupied by the Forest Department and local residents, where cultivation and other human activities are taking place. As a result, the snakes' natural habitats are being destroyed, forcing them to move into human settlements in search of safe shelter," he said.