VIDEO: King cobra slithers into closet in southern Thailand

A terrified homeowner in Trang province, southern Thailand, woke up yesterday morning to find a 2.1 metre long king cobra taking a nap in his wardrobe. He locked the snake inside the closet and urgently called a rescue team for help.

At 9am, a snake rescue foundation received a request for help from a villager in Palian district and deployed snake catchers, armed with equipment, to the scene. Three snake catchers gingerly opened the wardrobe and apprehended the snake before holding it up like a trophy for the cameras.

The snake catchers put the venomous king cobra (ngoo jong ang) into a bin and tightly closed the lid. Then, they explained that king cobras are an important and protected species in Thailand, and killing one or keeping one as a pet is punishable by no more than ten years and a fine of no more than one million baht, or both.

One of the snake catchers, 30 year old Thanet Suso, said that the rescue team help catch snakes in every district of Trang province and release them into rural locations, far away from communities. He said there are many king cobras in the area, often found in the forests and rubber plantations.

Thanet said that snakes are more active in rainy season, so be wary. He said there is a bigger chance of snakes entering your home too, as they might follow their prey into the house, e.g. a mouse trying to escape the rain.

King cobras have the strongest bite of any venomous snakes. If a king cobra bites you, you can die from paralysis of the heart and lungs very quickly. A king cobra can kill a human in 15 minutes and a fully grown elephant in one hour. However, it depends on the amount of venom that enters the body. You can treat a king cobra bite with antivenom, which is extremely effective, if you are quick enough.

Read the Thaiger‘s guide on what to do if you get bitten by a snake in Thailand.

Despite the king cobra’s deadly venom, snake charmers continue to hold king cobra performances all over Thailand, sometimes with fatal consequences. If you do want to get close to a king cobra, you can watch performances at King Cobra Village in Khon Kaen, northeast Thailand.

SOURCE: KhaoSod