The recent sighting of a king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) in the newly declared conservation reserve, Tillari, in Sindhudurg district, Maharashtra, has drawn attention to the importance of these reserves and the wildlife they protect.
King Cobra: An Overview
The King Cobra is a highly venomous snake and holds the record for being the longest among its venomous counterparts. Although its venom may not be the most potent among venomous snakes, the king cobra can easily deliver up to two-tenths of a fluid ounce of neurotoxin per bite. This amount is powerful enough to kill 20 people or even an elephant. Another fascinating feature of this species is its nesting behaviour. King cobras are the only known snakes that build and fiercely guard nests for their eggs until the baby snakes hatch.
King Cobra’s Habitat
These snakes primarily dwell in the rainforests and plains of India, southern China, and Southeast Asia. They adapt well to different habitats, including forests, bamboo thickets, mangrove swamps, high-altitude grasslands, and rivers.
Threats to the King Cobra
Human activities pose various threats to the king cobra. Chief among these include deforestation, international pet trade, human persecution, and usage for skin, food, and medicinal purposes.
Protection Status of King Cobra
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the King Cobra as a vulnerable species. Furthermore, it falls under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and Schedule II of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
About Tillari Conservation Reserve
Tillari is the seventh wildlife corridor in Maharashtra to be declared a ‘conservation reserve’. This reserve, located in the western ghats, covers nine villages within the forest range. This region is crucial as a corridor for the movement of tigers and elephants among Goa, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. Tillari links the Mhadei sanctuary in Goa and Bhimgad in Karnataka and hosts a diverse ecosystem, including semi-evergreen forests, tropical moist deciduous forests, and a variety of trees, butterflies, and flowers.
Conservation Reserves in India
Conservation reserves and community reserves constitute protected areas that often serve as buffer zones or migration corridors between established national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and reserved/protected forests. A region is designated a conservation area if it is uninhabited and owned entirely by the Government of India. If parts of the land are privately owned, then they fall under community areas. These categories emerged from the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2002, which amends the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. They were introduced due to declining protection around existing or proposed protected areas because of private land ownership and use. As of December 2020, there are 97 Conservation Reserves in India spanning an area of 44,483 km2, or 0.14% of the country’s geographical area (National Wildlife Database).