Kannur: A wildlife watcher from Kannur has hatched 16 King cobra snakelings by creating an artificial habitat at his home at Bakkalam near Taliparamba in Kannur district. Shaji Bekkalam, who is also an active member of the wildlife protection organisation, Malabar Awareness and Rescue Centre for Wildlife (MARC), used an old fish tank to simulate the ambient conditions of an incubator. Shaji said it is the first time that the eggs of King Cobra were hatched in an artificial incubator in Kerala.

Shaji has been engaged in wildlife protection activities for the last 13 years. However, he has never attempted hatching the eggs of King Cobra.

“I was informed by the Karuvanchal Section Forester K Madhu to catch a King Cobra found in the farmland of a Kudiyanmala native. The snake disappeared, abandoning the eggs when the people gathered in the area. The eggs were discovered beneath the pile of leaves while they searched to find the snake. The farm owner and the locals were reluctant to keep the eggs there as it was a residential area. So the forest department asked me to collect it and hatch it,” Shaji Bekkalam said

Shaji had to replicate the natural habitat required to hatch the eggs in his home compound. Initially, he filled water in a basin and loaded mudstones in it. A plastic box was placed above the stones and the eggs were kept on a cushion of bamboo leaves and dry leaves collected from the place where the eggs were found. However, due to frequent showers, he created a new habitat inside a fish tank and moved the eggs to the tank.

“I have successfully hatched the eggs of Python, Oriental Rat Snakes, etc earlier. However, my family was afraid this time as the eggs belonged to a venomous snake. Later, they adapted to the situation and they used to monitor the progress of the hatching in my absence. I was forced to shift the habitat into a fish tank when the rain intensified,” Shaji added.

The major challenge was to maintain the temperature and humidity in the artificial settings. The snake eggs need a temperature between 24 to 30 degrees Celsius and a maximum humidity. The eggs were found on April 20. It usually takes 90 to 110 days to hatch the snake eggs. It took 87 days for the eggs to hatch. King cobra snakelet has the same amount of venom as a matured one. The snakes will be freed to the forest within one week.