Smithsonian Channel Documentaries
Cobra King
2017 • E9 Aug 9, 2017 60m
Two miles from the bustling towns of southern India, the lush Western Ghats rainforest harbors a sacred but deadly deity, the king cobra. Reaching lengths of up to 18 feet and packing enough venom to kill an elephant with a single strike, this apex predator is both revered and feared by its human neighbors. But right now, the imposing beast isn't looking for a fight. He's looking for love. It's mating season in the Western Ghats, a period when most human-snake conflicts occur, and it's up to an expert wrangler, Gowri Shankar, to keep the peace.