Forest beat officer G.S. Roshni, who has rescued more than 800 snakes, both venomous and non-venomous, in her nearly eight-year career, added a 14 to 15-foot long king cobra to her record on Sunday.
The rescue took place near a stream in the Peppara region, close to Anchumaruthumoodu, a forest-fringe area in Thiruvananthapuram.
Roshni was part of a five-member rapid response team that reached the site after locals reported spotting the large reptile near a popular bathing spot. She was the only one to physically handle the snake.
The video showed Roshni approaching the reptile alone with a long stick, curved at one end, and a large bag.
She grabbed the snake by its tail and tried coaxing it into the bag. At one point, she could be heard saying “please” to the cobra.
After several minutes of steady attempts, she successfully bagged the snake within six minutes.
"It was a mature snake. It was about 14-15 feet long and weighed approximately 20 kg," Roshni told PTI.
She added that sightings of king cobras are rare in the southern districts of Kerala, which is likely why this was her first encounter with the species.
The clip quickly went viral and many admired her.
One X user wrote: “That’s incredible! Officer Roshni’s bravery and skill in safely capturing such a large King Cobra is truly commendable. It’s reassuring to know that there are dedicated officers like her protecting both the community and the wildlife.”
Muralee Thummarukudy, director of the G20 Global Land Initiative at the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), also took to Facebook to comment on the rescue. He said his respect for the officer only grew after learning that this was her first time handling a king cobra.
However, Thummarukudy also pointed out safety issues. He mentioned that during the operation, Roshni dropped her tools multiple times, possibly due to inexperience. “Despite that, her confidence does not go away,” he wrote.
He also raised concerns about the lack of personal protective equipment among forest department personnel handling venomous snakes. “No one in the Forest Department has been seen using the minimum personal protective equipment required when handling venomous snakes,” he wrote.
After the successful rescue, the king cobra was released into a deep forest area away from human habitation around 12.30 pm.
The king cobra, the world’s longest venomous snake, is a species known more for its stealth than aggression.
Though it can raise the upper part of its body, flare its hood, and hiss when provoked, it usually avoids humans. The species is also known to fiercely guard its eggs during the incubation period. It feeds primarily on other snakes.