King cobra conservation - Education and capacity building in rural northeast Thailand

King cobra

(Ophiophagus hannah)

The IUCN Status

LC Least Concern

VU Vulnerable

EX Extinct

The challenge

Turning fear into awe and respect

The king cobra is the largest venomous snake in the world. As an apex predator, it plays a critical role in ecosystem processes. But the species is understudied and subject to human persecution, as it tends to spend significant time in high-risk areas around settlements. Situated in Thailand’s northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, the Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve (SBR) is home to both the king cobra and numerous other threatened species, including the leopard cat, leopard, Asiatic black bear, Malayan sunbear, red dhole, golden jackal, the Sunda slow loris and Sunda pangolin. If used as a flagship species, the king cobra’s expansive home range will provide vast tracts of protected habitat for these species as well.

The goal

Mitigating conflict by empowering villagers

The Sakaerat Conservation and Snake Education Team (SCSET) sought to assess the spatial ecology of the king cobra using intensive radio telemetry to study how these snakes use human-dominated landscapes. They also endeavoured to improve conservation and biodiversity awareness by implementing an education programme for youth focusing on the species. A non-lethal snake removal programme for local villages and seminars to educate the older population about king cobras were also part of the strategy to better protect the species. The team’s multi-year study has revealed that king cobras spend the vast majority of their time outside of protected areas in constant danger of human conflict. Ongoing conservation, outreach and educational training will focus on mitigating this.

Our Role

Radio-tracking cobras and increasing recognition for the species

WRS has sponsored four radio tracked king cobras at the Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve. With WRS’s support, these Cobras will be featured in a video entitled “Through the Eyes of a King Cobra”, which is shown at the Sakaerat Environmental Research Station museum to aid in their outreach. The partnership has also enabled the SCSET team to increase recognition for the species in southeast Asia and expand conservation awareness through the village education programmes. As part of our commitment to capacity building and knowledge exchange, we sent the Herpetology Section’s Deputy Head Keeper Jose Pedro to visit the team at their field site where he shared methods to safely capture and bag snakes, while also learning more about king cobras in their natural habitats.

The Impact

Applying new methods to further the field of herpetology

The SCSET team has begun mapping king cobra movements using methods that are new to the field of herpetology, such as the Brownian Bridge Movement Model (BBMM). As a result, they have been able to document and analyze the habitat and in situ behaviour of king cobras. The data has revealed the seasonal movements of these snakes and has enabled the team to devise strategies to reduce human snake conflicts in village areas. Ongoing outreach programmes have ensured that teachers will continue to educate youth about biodiversity and conservation in northeast Thailand.