National Geographic: King Cobra Page #3

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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.

Okay.

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.

When the serpent is trapped,

he tries to escape,

lunging toward what appears

to be a dark hole.

He's gonna go in.

He's gonna go in.

Open the bag.

Okay, good.

Watch it,

he's gonna go in.

He's gonna go in.

Watch out.

Okay, twist, man.

This is one hell of a snake.

Whitaker is not just a hunter.

He's a leading expert on king cobras

and each capture is a precious chance

to learn more

about this elusive species.

To take detailed notes on the snake

Whitaker has to

remove him from the bag,

which is just

as dangerous as getting him in.

But he must be removed

to obtain a sample of his venom.

The amount of venom this serpent can

inject through his fangs is astounding

one bite can deliver

enough to kill 100 people.

The procedure doesn't harm the snake.

His venom is simply

saliva with a deadly twist.

Good venom sample.

Okay, shall we release him?

Yeah.

The king cobra can produce

an unlimited supply.

One, two, three.

Few people are actually

bitten by king cobras,

for they are reclusive serpents

whose home is deep in the forest.

And this is where Whitaker

makes his release

far from tea estates and people.

After his encounter

with the human race,

the king cobra seeks refuge.

A patchwork of woods

and open grassland,

this new home has all

he needs shelter and food.

But there will also

be other king cobras.

And now he is the newcomer.

Cautiously, he slides

through the undergrowth.

He senses something up ahead

a snake.

Is it food?

His tongue picks up a telltale scent.

It's another king cobra,

but this time a female.

The king may have found his queen.

She stands on guard.

She may be ready to mate,

but her bite is deadly.

So he moves slowly.

He tries to entice her.

But his gentle overtures are rebuffed.

Abandoning the subtle approach,

he becomes bolder.

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