Snake Handler Rescues Satun Family from Giant King Cobras
SATUN, Thailand – A well-known snake handler, Bang Ya Bongla King, recently rescued a Satun family after a pair of giant king cobras laid 29 eggs near their rubber plantation. The incident caused a halt in the family’s rubber tapping activities in Ban Phang Palm 7, Palm Pattana subdistrict, Manang district, since March.
Bang Ya, who had initially been unable to assist due to observing Ramadan, traveled to the site after the fasting month concluded. Along with volunteers from the Rom Sai Rescue Foundation, Bang Ya made a 2-kilometre trek up the mountain to the snake nest. Within 30 minutes, they successfully captured the two snakes— a 4-meter male and a 3-meter female—and collected the 29 eggs from the nest.
Bang Ya explained:
“This pair of snakes are the parents of a previous clutch I relocated. They returned to lay eggs at the same site when the breeding season came again.”
Following the successful capture, the snakes and eggs were transported to Nong Plak Phraya Khao Rayabang Sa for release back into the wild. This allowed the family to resume their nighttime rubber tapping activities without further interruption.
While the community was divided, with some sympathizing with the family’s work stoppage and others with the displaced snakes, the rescue marked another successful operation in the region, where similar incidents with king cobras have occurred.
