Locals raised the alarm when they noticed two large king cobras entwined with each other in a large growth of bamboo behind houses in Soi Namaoy. (See map below.)
Rescue workers soon arrived and caught one of the cobras, measuring five metres long and weighing a hefty 10.6 kilograms, but were unable to find the other.
“It took 10 rescue workers about two hours to safely catch that snake, but the other one got away,” one rescue worker said.
“Locals believe that the two snakes were mating. At this stage we urge all residents in the aware to be on the lookout for the one that got away. It can easily be dangerous,” he added.
The king cobra that was snared was taken to the jungle along the west-coast road between Rawai and Karon, and released into the wild near the Kata Viewpoint.
“If the missing cobra is found, we must catch it and release it in the same area,” the rescue worker said.