Deep within the jungles of southern India, there lives a legendary king respected and feared by all. He is swift and strong and deadly. He is the largest venomous snake in the world. But until now his life has been a mystery. This is the story of a monarch and his remarkable travels through a fragile kingdom. It is early on a cool morning when the king of snakes embarks on a journey. His is an ancient forest alive with creatures great and small. Like the king cobra himself many hover precariously close to extinction. But on this morning the jungle pulses with the sounds of insects and birds.
A great Indian hornbill delicately feeds his family hidden in their nest below. Through this jungle book world the king roams great distances. Though his movements are quiet those around always take notice for crossing the king cobra's path could cost them their lives. Despite the uproar his presence causes his world is mostly silent. He only hears the deepest of rumblings He has picked up the heavy footfalls of a nearby elephant. Even the mighty pachyderm steers clear of this serpent, for just one bite may bring death. But the king would strike such a beast only in self-defense, for he feeds solely on snakes. Still, the langurs are cautious.
Today, the king is not interested even in snakes. He is searching for something else, something very important. His eyesight is better than most serpents' but he sees without color and only registers objects when they move. He smells the air with his tongue. So acute is this sense, he can use it to find water. And that's exactly what he's looking for. Today, water is critical for the king is about to shed his skin. He needs extra fluid to help separate his old coat from his new. It is an uncomfortable time for the king cobra, a new skin is developing beneath his outer scales. He must find a place to hide until it is time to shed. The king is unaccustomed to his fragile condition. It is an uncertain time.
At last he discovers a burrow. And none of the forest's creatures wants to share quarters with the king. For the next ten days, he will stay here. Irritable and tense, he's sensitive to any movement nearby. Even the harmless wanderings of a turtle unsettle the king. For his eyes have become cloudy from a secretion which helps separate his skins. Half blind and vulnerable, he is always ready to strike. At last his eyes begin to clear a sign his new skin has finished growing. The king is back but must still shed his old scales. His spent skin is tight and itchy. As he scrapes and rubs to relieve the discomfort, his outer scales begin to peel. It is a remarkable transformation even his fangs, teeth, and the tips of his tongue will be replaced again and again during the course of his life.
When the skin over his eyes lifts away he is given new windows through which to view his world. At 12 feet long and still growing, the snake must endure shedding four or five times a year.
His discarded skin makes a perfect meal for the smaller creatures of his realm. In this kingdom, nothing is wasted. After ten days without eating, the king is hungry. A tree offers a good vantage point for spotting prey. For his size, the king cobra is an agile climber. Now he waits and watches. A movement in the tree reveals another hungry creature... a young hornbill. Its father has spotted something. The king cobra watches the hunt unfold A vine snake ribbons across a nearby branch. Much smaller than the cobra, this nimble hunter is no match for the hornbill. The little snake looks as fierce as he can. But it is only a brave display.
His venom is mild. The young hornbill gets the prize. And the king will wait for bigger meals. Below on the forest floor a rat snake is on the hunt. It is one of India's largest non-venomous snakes. Quick and voracious, it will take any small mammal. From his perch the king spots the movement below. It is just what he's been waiting for.Silently, the king cobra joins in the hunt. The rat snake follows a scent. Its sensitive tongue has led it to prey. The king cobra is on their trail. As the rat snake prepares to attack, the king closes in.
In a flash, the rat escapes. And now, the hunter becomes the hunted Against the hooded death, even a seven-foot snake hasn't a chance. The rat snake puffs up its throat and lowers its tongue in threat, but it is a futile gesture. One strike delivers venom and a crushing grip. The rat snake returns the attack but it's already doomed. Within minutes the giant cobra's venom takes effect, paralyzing the prey. The heart stops pumping, the lungs stop breathing, and the victim suffocates. The king cobra can easily devour this large snake. His backward-facing teeth help guide the victim down his throat. Digestion has already begun, for the king's venom helps dissolve the rat snake from the inside out.
Still, the king cobra will linger over this meal. And for the days it takes to absorb his prey, he'll have no need to hunt. But yet the king is restless. It is now the dry season the time to find a mate. A new, intoxicating scent fills the air. Some of the rain forest's trees have dropped their leaves and begun to fruit. It is a joyous season for langurs. Across the forest the jackfruits are ripening. Their sweet, pungent odor beckons. It's an irresistible lure to creatures both small and great. To reach the succulent flesh within the 20-pound fruit, the prickly skin must first be peeled. It's a messy job for even the most adept of elephants. She leaves a veritable banquet in her wake. This is a season when king cobras roam widely through the forest. But today the king's subjects are distracted by the fruit. They take only passing notice of his presence. The king still seeks a mate. And it's in this fruiting season that he's most likely to find one. But it's not a female he encounters.
It's a rival... a formidable male. A potent threat, he must be driven away. Each is capable of killing the other with a single bite. A strange duel begins an encounter rarely witnessed and never before filmed. Rather than a fight to the death, the battle has evolved into a ritualized dance. To win, one snake must force the other's head to the ground. At last, there is a victor. It's the intruder. The king has been dethroned. Driven from his domain, he must seek another. But the rain forests of southern India are a finite land. As people press in, less and less remains for the king cobra. Our king has no choice but to leave the jungle. Fortunately for the king cobra... water is no barrier. He is a gifted swimmer. But what lies ahead for the king?
As the forest is cleared, its creatures more and more frequently cross the border into a strange new realm... the realm of civilization. But surprisingly, a tea plantation is a welcome sight to the exiled king. Here there is thick vegetation and an abundance of rat snakes. But this is no haven. For when king cobras and people cross paths there is bound to be trouble. Just one glimpse of the legendary king can cause panic and shut down a plantation for weeks. This cultivated land is not as rich as the king cobra's old domain, but still, he makes himself at home here. Yet he must be evicted if work is to resume at the plantation. And even the king is no match for humans who are determined and armed. Fortunately for the king, a special sort of hunter has been called in.
His weapons are simply a stick and a sack to the amazement of his audience. In this part of India, people know to call Rom Whitaker whenever a king cobra is on the loose.
An American expatriate raised in India Whitaker has studied these snakes for over 20 years. I'll leave the bag here. You take that path. Okay. Careful, huh? Yeah. I've been fascinated with king cobras all my life. Anyone who likes snakes knows that this is the super snake, the snake of all snakes. As I get to know it better, it gets more and more amazing. Finding a king cobra in a tea estate isn't very easy. I spent 20 days tracking one down. The bushes here are so thick that I have to get down on my hands and knees to see where the snake's gone. It's a dangerous proposition even for Whitaker. After several snakebites, he is now allergic to antivenin. The next bite could kill him. He's coming. I'm moving up ahead. With the serpent cornered, the challenge now is to complete the capture without a terrible accident. The king cobra too is fragile. The stick could easily hurt him. He's big, he's really big. Back, back, back, back, back, behind, behind, behind. I don't want to pull, man. I've been catching king cobras for quite a few years. And I've evolved a system which is quite gentle to the snake.
