Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s call for the forest department to study the feasibility of reintroducing the king cobra in the state’s lush forests has put the department in a quandary.
Yadav’s emphasis on reintroducing these snakes, which have vanished from the state, has prompted the department to consider the ecological challenges this poses. Forest officials are exploring the possibility of introducing two captive king cobras for display at Bhopal’s Van Vihar National Park.
King cobras, one of the world’s most venomous snakes, are classified as ‘vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and are protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Addressing the inauguration session of a two-day Indian Forest Service (IFS) meet and forestry conference in Bhopal, Yadav remarked, “It is a moment of pride for us that Bhopal is the only capital where we have humans walking the streets during the day and tigers moving around at night. What better example of coexistence than this?
He added: “I believe there are several such possibilities we need to work on, some of which we have already started. I said we want king cobra; which has vanished from our state.”
Yadav highlighted regions in Madhya Pradesh, particularly near the eastern border adjoining Chhattisgarh and Odisha, as potential habitats for the species. Equating the king cobra’s aura with that of the tiger, he said, “When tigers move in the jungle, animals begin making sounds, indicating their presence. Similarly, when a king cobra slithers on the ground, other snakes flee from their holes, and the king cobra hunts them.”
The chief minister also noted challenges arising from the species’ disappearance, saying, “Since the king cobra has vanished, districts like Dindori, where I was minister-in-charge, have seen up to 200 snakebite deaths annually.”
He further said: “The government pays significant compensation, but it is not just about the money—losing 200 lives a year is a significant loss. This situation might be linked to the absence of the king cobra or might be an exaggeration, but it needs to be studied further to find a solution.”
India is one of the worst-affected countries for snakebites, with one study estimating 51,000 deaths in 2019. A first-of-its-kind study using government records of snakebite deaths and compensation in Madhya Pradesh, conducted by Dr Priyanka Kadam, founder of Snake Bite Healing and Education Society—a Mumbai-based NGO working to reduce human-snake conflicts—revealed 5,779 snakebite deaths in MP between 2020 and 2022.
The state government paid Rs 231.16 crore in compensation in this period, awarding Rs 4 lakh for each snakebite fatality.
Unsuitable temperatures, ecological challenges
Senior forest officials are sceptical about the feasibility of reintroducing king cobras to Madhya Pradesh due to the temperatures being unsuitable for the species’ survival. “The state’s climatic conditions are unsuitable for king cobras, which thrive in cooler environments like the Western Ghats,” a senior officer, who wished not to be named, told ThePrint.
King cobras earlier lived in undivided Madhya Pradesh, which included Chhattisgarh. These areas, where king cobras once thrived, now fall under Chhattisgarh’s Korba region.
While there is just a 10-degree-Celsius difference between the maximum temperatures of present-day Madhya Pradesh and Western Ghats, where maximum temperatures reach 33 degrees Celsius, an environmentalist has called this gap “substantial” and “catastrophic”.
The forest department has sought advice from Dr Gowri Shankar, a renowned king cobra expert and co-founder of the environmental research NGO Kalinga Foundation in Karnataka.
Speaking to ThePrint, Dr Gowri Shankar described the proposal as “disastrous”.
“King cobras once existed in undivided Madhya Pradesh, but those areas now lie in Chhattisgarh. In Madhya Pradesh, where summer temperatures reach 44 degrees Celsius, the snakes would not survive. They thrive in areas like the Western Ghats, where the maximum temperature is 33 degrees Celsius. A 10 degrees Celsius difference is substantial and would be catastrophic for the species.”
Dr Shankar also warned of ecological challenges. “King cobras prey on other venomous snakes. If their population grows unchecked, what happens when other snake populations decline? At least there is an antidote for other venomous snakes, but there is none for the king cobra. Introducing them could be like unleashing a monster into the ecosystem.”
He has submitted a report urging the Madhya Pradesh government to abandon the plan.
Dr Shankar raised another concern. “In southern states, the king cobra is revered and rescued when found in human habitats. However, in northern states, including Chhattisgarh’s Korba region, people often kill them in self-defence.”
Senior forest officials are now assessing the chief minister’s suggestion.
“Before making any decision, we need to undertake a scientific study to determine whether Madhya Pradesh can support king cobras. The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) will be involved in the study, and further action will depend on their findings,” Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Subharanjan Sen told ThePrint.
A small population of king cobras still remains in Madhya Pradesh, according to a wildlife expert.
Manish Kulshetra, a Jabalpur-based wildlife rescue expert working in the central region of Madhya Pradesh, explained to ThePrint that Jabalpur, along with Ujjain and Shajapur, were major centres where snake charmers would gather and hold shows. “They would smuggle king cobras from Odisha and Chhattisgarh and bring them here. Some of these king cobras were left behind, and we have a small population in Jabalpur along the banks of the river Narmada, but their growth is limited as the terrain is not conducive.”
Mukesh Ingle, founder-director of the Reptile Conservation & Research Centre in Ujjain, told ThePrint that in Chhattisgarh, there are known nesting sites for king cobras. “The species of king cobra found in Chhattisgarh is the same as that in Odisha, and it is quite likely that a few snakes from Odisha may have travelled and made their way to Chhattisgarh. At this stage, it is very difficult to say whether king cobras can survive in Madhya Pradesh. Only after a scientific study can an area be identified and developed as their habitat.”
Chief Minister Yadav, who hails from Ujjain, has been a frequent visitor to the Reptile Conservation & Research Centre run by Ingle. Ingle’s reptile centre is home to two king cobras.
Given the practical challenges, work is underway to design specialised enclosures to protect the two snakes, which have been proposed to be kept captive at Van Vihar National Park, from temperature fluctuations.
Kulshetra, who was involved in handling two king cobras previously kept in Van Vihar, pointed out to ThePrint that if the government wants to introduce king cobras, it would need to create an enclosed area where they could live and thrive. “Without such measures, this species would struggle to survive on its own.”
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
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