KING COBRA HATCHLINGS- THE LONG WAIT COMES TO A BEGINNING !

Gowri smiling at one of the hatchlings and welcomes the baby king to his kingdom!

AGUMBE HATCHINGS- THE LONG WAIT COMES TO A BEGINNING !

Gowri Shanker,herpetologist-Researcher at the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station was overcome with a mix of emotions of happiness and pure joy of seeing a new life begin in the woods of Agumbe where his strict vigil for three months paid off. He was tipped off by a local villager about a King cobra nest near thirthahalli in the month of May.Gowri, on visiting the nest found out that the mother had abandoned the nest due to human disturbances in that area.Since then , he kept the nest under his strict supervision, barricading it from the curious locals and recording the temperature and other vital data 4-5times a day for three long months. All his team's hard work had finally paid off on the 17th of July when the hatchlings came out hale and hearty.27 out of 28 eggs hatched successfully while one remained unhatched(unfertilized egg).He removed the hatchlings carefully, after measuring their weight and length he released them in wild, in a spot which has the perfect combination of temperature, safe habitat and prey.These are vital factors that will increase their chances of survival.