National Geographic: King Cobra Page #3

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she will guard her nest from

predators like the mongoose.

This plucky little hunter will try his

luck with anything that looks edible.

In a scene from Kipling's Jungle Book

it is the cobra against

the infamous mongoose.

The mongoose is a notorious egg thief

and one of the few creatures willing

to challenge a king cobra head on.

The persistent little mongoose

angers the mother cobra.

Towering three feet above him

she has no need to strike.

She has made her message quite clear.

On this humid, summer day,

others in the forest search for nests.

Finding king cobra nests in the

wild is really difficult.

So I've been offering rewards.

But still, in 20 years,

I've seen only four.

People think that a king cobra

on her nest is the most

dangerous creature on earth.

But what surprises me is that

they're actually shy and retiring.

All I have to do is gently prod

the nest and off she goes.

But I know she'll stick around just

to see what's going on.

This is a great chance for me to learn

more about this wonderful reptile.

Let's checkout the

condition of these eggs.

Even with the mother guarding them

some of the eggs won't survive.

Ah, here's a rotten one.

In this nest there are 18 eggs and a

few of them will never hatch.

God, there are leeches here too.

I'll chuck the rotten one away.

You better get them off your hands

before they start...

Ah, they've never bothered me.

Thirty point nine.

Not bad. Pretty constant.

Let's close up.

When the researchers have

finished their task,

they replace the eggs and rebuild the

mother's carefully constructed nest.

Only after they've gone

will the mother return.

Then she will resume

her watch for another month.

A protective mother king cobra

is just one of many challenges

for scientists working

in the rain forest.

I've been wandering in these

forests for decades,

and although we do keep

an eye open for elephants,

I've never been attacked by anything

except the little creatures

mites, ticks, leeches.

Look at these suckers.

Well, as gory as it looks,

it really doesn't hurt very much.

Oh, that's a fat one.

Look at that.

The fish are eating them.

Pulling them off does feel a bit weird

And of course,

you go on bleeding for hours.

But they don't really

seem to do you any harm.

Soon leeches will be the

least of anyone's worries

for it is July and at last the

monsoon arrives in earnest.

Sweeping in from the Indian ocean,

it will bring as much as 30 feet

of rain in a single season.

The lashing rain will

test the king cobra's nest.

The deluge may last for weeks.

Though the nest is battered

it served its purpose

the female and her eggs

have weathered the storm.

After two months

the mother's long vigil is over.

Instinct tells her to abandon the nest

before her infants emerge

for she is a snake-eater by nature.

Within the nest,

her eggs are stirring with life.

Their mother glides off to hunt

her first meal in months.

Her babies will now have

to fend for themselves.

With a tiny sharp tooth

the first one tears open its shell.

One by one the others follow.

Soon the nest glistens with a dozen

miniature king cobras

complete with venom and tiny fangs.

For the first 24 hours

the hatchlings remain near their eggs

as they absorb their nutritious yolks

and take in the world

for the first time.

At last they start

to explore their nest.

The pencil-thin babies are

just 15 inches long,

but already they act

like their parents.

Quick to respond to movement

they spar with each other.

Then, instinctively

most leave the nest and climb into

the bamboo above for safety.

But one youngster lingers below.

Instead of leaving the

dangerous forest floor,

this hatchling is drawn

to the water for a drink.

It will be a costly mistake.

A crocodile is watching.

Beneath the other more

cautious hatchlings,

the mongoose returns

to the abandoned nest.

He's rummaging for leftovers.

He devours a king cobra

that never hatched.

In just a week, one of the hatchlings

sheds his skin for the first time.

He will shed every month

for his first year,

since baby king cobras grow quickly.

Now the hungry hatchling must

search for his first kill.

He spots his prey

a little olive water snake.

At this age, the baby king cobra can

barely make enough venom

to kill a tiny creature like this.

But his hunting form is

already impeccable.

He spreads his ribs

and makes a perfect little hood.

With his first successful kill,

the little cobra is well on his way

to becoming the next king.

In ten years, he may grow to 15 feet.

But only with luck.

For the forests of southern India

are shrinking.

In such a changing world

the hatchling's prospects are unsure.

What will become of the little king?

Will he be banished

to the realm of legends,

remembered only in a storybook?

For today, at least,

this mighty monarch rules

the fragile forest.

For he is king.

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