Eight-foot king cobra rescued from Chittagong University streamside

A king cobra has been rescued from Chittagong University campus by a specialist snake rescue group after it was found inside a residential area near the campus hill zone.

The snake was found around 8:00 pm on Friday from a stream behind the arts faculty makeshift structures.

Panic spread among residents after news broke that the snake had entered the house of a local, Imam Hossain.

A rescue team led by Ibrahim Khalil Al Haidar, assistant professor of zoology and advisor to the Society for Snake and Snake Bite Awareness, reached the spot and secured the snake after about 30 minutes of effort, bdnews24.com reports.

Md Rafiqul Islam, founder of the organisation and a former zoology student, said the team moved quickly after receiving the alert and safely removed the king cobra after it entered a resident’s room.

He said the university area is home to several venomous species, including black krait, banded krait, green pit viper and red-necked keelback.

Prof Haidar said the rescued king cobra is around 8ft long, though the species can grow up to 18 to 20ft.

“The rescued snake is now under my supervision. The relevant authorities will be informed,” he added.

According to him, king cobras are venomous and primarily survive by feeding on other snakes.

“They usually avoid humans and do not bite unless provoked. But when their habitat shrinks or they are disturbed, they may come into contact with people,” he said.

He added that king cobras had earlier been rescued from the university area in 2016 and 2021.