25 King Cobra hatchlings born through artificial incubation for first time in Bangladesh

For the first time in Bangladesh, 25 king cobra hatchlings have been successfully born through artificial incubation in Chattogram.

King cobras, the most venomous snake species in the country, are highly endangered and typically inhabit deep forests, including mangroves and rainforests.

Although they occasionally appear in populated areas, there had been no prior record of king cobra eggs being hatched artificially in Bangladesh.

The breakthrough was achieved by Siddiqur Rahman Rabbi, a member of the Bangladesh Snake Rescue Team and head of the Chittagong Snake Rescue Team.

Rabbi incubated the eggs under controlled temperature and humidity in an artificially constructed environment, resulting in their hatching on 22 July, after just over a month. 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. 

Confirming the success of this artificial hatching, snake expert and Associate Professor of the Zoology Department at Chittagong University, Mohammad Abdul Wahid Chowdhury, noted that this is the first recorded instance of such a feat in Bangladesh.

There is an incident of hatching King Cobra eggs in Kerala, India this year. He highlighted the importance of the king cobra in the ecosystem, as they help maintain the balance of nature by preying on other venomous snakes.

Chowdhury advised that the newly hatched snakes should be reared for a while before being released into the wild, emphasising that preserving this endangered species could significantly enhance the country's biodiversity.

How the eggs were collected and hatched

On 20 June, Rabbi and his team responded to a call about a rare king cobra sighting in a remote area of Bandarban. They rescued the adult snake and 25 eggs, which a local tribal young man had discovered. Rabbi exchanged four chicken eggs for each king cobra egg and later released the adult snake back into the forest before returning to Chattogram with the eggs.

Upon bringing the eggs home, Rabbi discovered they were heavily infected with fungus. He carefully cleaned the eggs, and despite his extensive experience in rescuing over a thousand snakes, this was his first time attempting to hatch snake eggs. He researched online, created a nest using bamboo leaves in a plastic box, and maintained the necessary temperature and humidity until the eggs hatched on July 22.

Feeding and caring for the hatchlings

For the first week, the baby snakes do not require food. Afterward, they are fed small pieces of chicken meat and provided with ample water. All the hatchlings are reported to be growing healthy and strong.

Rabbi explained that while king cobras typically prey on other venomous snakes, the young cobras are unable to hunt until they are about three months old. Until then, they are being raised on a diet of chicken meat. Once they reach a more mature stage, they will be released into their natural habitat.

Preparing for release into the wild

Debashish, another member of the snake rescue team, shared that as the hatchlings grow, they are gradually acclimated to their natural environment at Shatayu Angan on Batali Hill, in Chattogram, before being released. After a short period of adjustment, they are reintroduced to the wild.

Arnab, another team member, mentioned that five hatchlings have already been released into the Pithachara Reserve Forest in the Matiranga area of Khagrachari. The team currently has 20 hatchlings, with plans to release them in four more reserve forests in Chattogram over the next two weeks, with five snakes in each location.

Snake experts have praised this initiative to artificially hatch and release king cobras, a species nearing extinction, back into the wild.