Northern King Cobra, <i>Ophiophagus hannah</i> (Cantor 1836), rescue and conservation efforts in and around Assam University, Silchar, Cachar District, Assam

We herein describe Northern King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) rescues, road mortality incidents, andhuman-King Cobra conflicts in and around Assam University, Silchar, Assam, India, with the aim of assessing thestatus and threats of the species in the Barak Valley. From July 2020 to December 2024, data were collected on KingCobra rescues and mortality events by a trained two-member team. Rescue and relocation were considered secondaryoptions, employed only when necessary; in most cases, the snakes were allowed to disperse naturally away from humansettlements. During rescues, lengths and weights of snakes were recorded prior to release into nearby forested habitats.A total of 49 Northern King Cobras were rescued and released over the study period. Mean length and weight of rescuedindividuals was 3.1 m (1 to 4.3 m) and 5.8 kg (2.8 to 14.5 kg). Snake encounters in human-inhabited areas werehighest during April and more frequent during the pre-monsoon period than other times of year. A positive relationshipwas evident between snake length and weight, indicating that each additional meter in length was associated withan approximate increase of 3 kg in weight. We emphasize the need for further research into the ecological and biologicalcharacteristics of this ecologically significant and charismatic species and, given the frequent human-induced mortalitydriven by fear, we recommend implementation of additional conservation education and community-engagementprograms to promote coexistence and support effective conservation strategies.