A MONTH after its capture, a six-foot female King Cobra was turned over to the Cebu City Zoo yesterday.
The deadly reptile was found by 19-year-old Norman Ardoña and his friend Rodel Sibunghanoy while they were hunting for frogs in a riverbank in sitio Pung-ol in the hinterland barangay of Malubog , Cebu City last month.
In an interview at the Ardoña’s home, Norman’s 32-year-old sister Sharon said her brother and Rodel caught the snake and tied its mouth with a string.
The snake was placed in a sack and left to hang in a tree.
Sharon said they didn’t know it was a King Cobra when they reported their find to barangay councilor Epitacio Gabunada last week.
When Gabunada visited, he suspected it was a cobra but was certain of it after the sack was opened and the snake was fed with a live rat.
At that point, the snake’s hood spread out, confirming its identity.
The King Cobra was then placed inside a cage with a smaller “lawaan” snake captured in a cave in Sirao.
By Saturday, the King Cobra had eaten its companion.
Sharon said they took care of the King Cobra, bathing it thrice a day.
Gabunada called up the Cebu City Zoo and its manager Giovanni Romarate arrived with DENR personnel.
Romarate said a female King Cobra has a maximum length of 13 feet while the male measures 15 feet.
He said the female King Cobra will be temporarily housed in one of their serpentariums. /Tweeny M. Malinao, Correspondent