King cobra mutilated by snake charmer in Khagrachhari fights for survival
The reptile’s two venomous fangs were smashed with a machete
Highlights:
- King cobra mutilated by snake charmer in Khagrachhari village
- Cobra's fangs smashed, leaving it unable to hunt prey
- Wildlife rescuers transported snake to Chattogram for urgent treatment
- Veterinarians found fractured jaw, mouth injuries, parasite infestation
- Volunteers face high costs, no government or NGO support
- No legal action yet against snake charmer despite offence.
A king cobra — the world's longest venomous snake and a critically endangered species in Bangladesh — has fallen victim to a snake charmer's cruelty in Khagrachhari.
The reptile's two venomous fangs were smashed with a machete, leaving it defenceless and now struggling for survival.
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The incident took place on 26 August in a village of Manikchhari upazila in Khagrachhari.
The nearly 10-foot-long cobra had entered a chicken coop, where locals trapped it with a fishing net.
Instead of informing authorities, villagers handed the snake over to a snake charmer, who broke off its fangs and kept it for performing snake shows.
Although such acts are a serious crime under the Wildlife Conservation and Security Act 2012, no legal action has been taken against the snake charmer, even five days after the incident.
"Releasing it into the wild without fangs would be dangerous. For now, our focus is to nurse it back to health. If the fangs do not regrow, the forest department will have to decide the next step."
Rescue and treatment
Volunteers from the Snake Rescuers Team of Nature Conservation Alliance Bangladesh, alerted by locals, coordinated with the upazila administration to recover the injured cobra that same evening.
The administration later handed it over to the team's leader, Siddiqur Rahman Rabbi, with approval from the Forest Department.
On Tuesday night, Rabbi and his team transported the cobra to Chattogram at their own expense. After allowing it to rest for a day, they brought it to the veterinary clinic of Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University on Thursday morning.
The rare sight immediately drew crowds of students, eager to see the nearly 10-foot-long, 2.5-kg black snake with white stripes. For many, it was their first encounter with a king cobra.
During a three-hour examination, doctors discovered a fractured upper jawbone, visible mouth injuries, and a parasite infestation. The medical team prescribed antibiotics, painkillers, and wound care, recommending a follow-up in two weeks.
Dr Bhajan Chandra Das, professor at the Medicine and Surgery Department, who led the examination, told The Business Standard, "We did not have prior experience to treat a king cobra. Using our basic knowledge and experience, we diagnosed a discontinuity in the upper jaw of the snake and some injuries in the mouth."
"We hope that the snake will recover soon," he added.
Struggle to rehabilitate
King cobras mainly prey on other snakes. Without fangs, hunting is impossible. The rescuers are now planning to force-feed the snake to keep it alive.
"If the gums had remained intact, new fangs could have grown back within two to three months. But the snake charmer's brutality damaged the gums, which makes me very worried," Rabbi told TBS.
"Releasing it into the wild without fangs would be dangerous. For now, our focus is to nurse it back to health. If the fangs do not regrow, the forest department will have to decide the next step."
No support for volunteers
The rescuers bore all costs, including renting a vehicle from Chattogram to Khagrachhari, to bring the snake for treatment.
With no government facilities for wildlife treatment or rehabilitation in Chattogram, volunteers are caring for it in their own homes.
"We do this out of love for nature. All expenses come from our own pockets. We rescue, treat, and release wildlife. But the high cost of treating endangered animals is becoming unbearable. We receive no financial support from the Forest Department or NGOs," Rabbi said.
Last year, Rabbi's team made headlines after artificially hatching 25 king cobra eggs for the first time in Bangladesh. The hatchlings were later released into three protected forests in Chattogram.
Mahfuz Ahmed Russell, founder of Pittachhara Forest & Biodiversity Conservation Initiative, told TBS, "The Forest Department has no trained rescuers or proper equipment. Though they depend heavily on volunteers for wildlife rescue, there is no system of financial support in place. For this cobra's treatment, we are assisting the volunteers ourselves."
Under the Wildlife Conservation and Security Act 2012, the king cobra is a protected species. Hunting, capturing, injuring, or keeping one is a punishable offence.
Yet, no case has been filed against the snake charmer who mutilated the cobra in Manikchhari.
When contacted, Khagrachhari Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Mohammad Farid Mia said, "We are discussing the matter with the wildlife division and will take steps within a day."
But Abu Naser Mohammad Yasin, DFO of Chattogram Wildlife and Nature Conservation Division, said any forest officer with sufficient evidence can file a case.
"Breaking a cobra's fangs is equivalent to killing or permanently disabling it. This is a serious offence under Section 6 of the Act," he told TBS.
