The veterinary surgeons at the State-run Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) here performed a rare and successful surgery on a 12-foot-long king cobra, which battled for life with multiple fracture wounds.

The male reptile, weighing 7.5 kilogram, was rescued with multiple wounds at the ribs close to its heart compressing the blood circulation and respiration. The snake helpline members rescued the maimed reptile from INS Chilika campus on Monday and later shifted it to OUAT veterinary wing in exceedingly distressed condition.

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“It took a two-hour-long surgical intervention to heal the fracture wounds of the snake. After the x-ray, we found four of the ribs fractured. Instead of immediately conducting the surgery, we kept the reptile under observation with the required medication as it was exhausted and gasping for breath. As it showed signs of improvement from the wreathing pain, a two-member team of veterinary experts flanked by veterinary students carried out the surgery yesterday”, said Dr Indramani Nath, Professor of Veterinary Surgery & Radiology, OUAT, who headed the team.

We applied an innovative technique by binding a PVC pipe on the outer parts to provide relief to the snake. It worked like the plastering method that is usually applied in fracture to humans. The PVC pipe application has worked wonders as it is steadily recovering and partially regained mobility. The cobra has been caged in a crate and it’s health condition is being monitored round-the-clock. As it is now in hibernation, we are yet to feed the reptiles. As a matter of fact, the snakes are naturally gifted with unique prowess to remain alive without food for more than a month, Nath said.

It’s for the first time that our institute has conducted treatment of such a gigantic king cobra. We are quite hopeful that it will recover shortly. After it gets completely cured, we will hand it over to the forest department for its release in the wild.

Incidentally, the king cobra is a species of poisonous snake and the world’s longest venomous snake. Unless provoked, king cobra never attacks humans. On occasions, cobras were found attacking humans in self-defence, he added.