Mangalore : The Pilikula Nisargadhama (Dr Shivaram Karanth Biological Park), Moodushedde has gained success in increasing the number of cobras and making the country’s first captive breeding centre for King Cobras.
Speaking on the occasion, H J Bhandary, the director, Pilikula Biological Park said that the three cobras of the park ‘Rani’, ‘Nagaveni’ and ‘Nagamani’ have hatched out of 82 eggs on Sunday and other eggs would be hatched in about a week
He also said that the young ones might have to be hand-fed for two years and when they all set to explore their surroundings; the authority will keep few of them in park and let out others in the forest.
He also said that the project gained success because of the effort of Vikram Lobo, the scientific officer; Roshan Menezes, the assistant curator; K. Dinesh and Ashok, the caretakers; and J. R. Lobo, the executive director of the park.
The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) permitted Pilikula Nisargadhama in Nov 2007 to breed the King Cobra in captivity, but unfortunately the project moved at a snails pace for the first two years. The authorities had selected four pairs for mating while the other six including five males were kept in a glass enclosure in the snake house for public viewing.