The king cobra is the longest venomous snake in the world, with an Indian range including the wetter sections of the Western Ghats, Andaman Islands, parts of northern Andhra Pradesh, coastal Orissa, the sub-Himalayan region and Northeast India. It is listed in the second highest order of protection, Schedule II, of the Indian Wildlife Act.

Diminishing boundaries between humans and wildlife are leading king cobras close to human habitation. Though revered in the Malnad region of Karnataka State (wherein Agumbe lies) people do not hesitate to kill these huge venomous snakes if they are perceived to be a nuisance. ARRS pitches in to rescue king cobras on call and release them within their home range: a 2-3km radius of the capture location.

ARRS has been undertaking the first-ever detailed field study of the king cobra, and remarkably, the first radio telemetry study of any snake species in India. The overall goal of the project is to learn as much as possible about the natural history and basic ecology of wild king cobras. The ultimate goal is to use this information to better manage and conserve these incredible serpents and the habitats on which they depend. One specific goal is to compare translocated and non-translocated snakes to see if translocation of “rescued” or “nuisance” snakes is a viable conservation action.

• Quantify king cobra seasonal movement patterns
• Identify home range characteristics
• Study habitat use by free-ranging king cobras
• Obtain data on various aspects of king cobra natural history, including reproduction, diet and growth
• Describe the thermal ecology of king cobras, especially females on nests, using miniature implanted temperature data loggers
• Remotely determine daily and seasonal activity patterns of king cobras by collating temperature data from data loggers
• Involve students and local communities in an educational program focused on ecology and conservation of king cobras and their habitat.