Giant golden king cobra rescued from car wheel in Chon Buri

Residents of Ban Bueng, Chon Buri, were thrown into a state of alarm when an almost 4-metre-long golden king cobra entangled itself around a car wheel in the early hours of the morning. The incident triggered an urgent call for rescue services, as the presence of the venomous snake posed a significant danger to the local community.

At around 5am today, April 4, the Ban Bueng Thammasat Rescue Unit received an urgent notification of a snake wrapped around a car wheel. Rescue specialist, 40 year old Paisan Pornnimitsap, known for his expertise in capturing venomous snakes, rushed to the scene with his team, equipped with snake-catching tools and sacks for safe containment.

Upon arrival at 69/2 in the Muenjit community, Klong Kiw subdistrict, the team encountered a Toyota Camry with the registration plate ศษ254. The sizable golden serpent was found tightly coiled around the rear right wheel, refusing to budge.

The rescue team had to meticulously work with hook poles to extricate the snake, which stubbornly clung on and threatened to slither beneath the vehicle—a situation that would have made the extraction process even more challenging.

Once the imposing creature was carefully pulled from the wheel, the rescuers used a noose to secure its head and a metal bar to press down, ensuring it could be safely captured without causing injury to the snake or themselves.

Upon examination, the king cobra was found to be in good health, without any visible wounds. Weighing in at 6.50 kilogrammes and measuring 3.67 metres in length, the snake displayed a yellowish-green hue throughout its body. The rescue centre proceeded to record its weight and length, adding to the history of the snakes they’ve encountered.

Paisan, speaking on the situation, mentioned that as soon as he was alerted by the residents, he and his team arrived with the necessary equipment. The priority was to capture the snake since it had ventured into a residential area, posing a potential threat to the locals and their pets. He expressed relief that the snake did not escape.

Snake rescue

This particular occurrence marked the fourth time Paisan had been called to capture a large king cobra in the area, the previous one being significantly larger at 4.30 metres in length and weighing 12 kilograms. Paisan speculated that the increased sightings of these snakes could be due to the hot weather driving them to search for water and food, as their natural habitat has become arid and food-scarce, reported KhaSod.

The plan for this king cobra is to release it into the wild, far from human dwellings, to avoid any future conflicts. For the time being, the snake will be given a chance to rest before being returned to its natural environment the following morning.