Although their v.enom isn’t the strongest among p.oiso.nous snakes, the amount of neurotoxic they can give in a single b.ite—up to two-tenths of a fluid ounce—is enough to k.il.l 20 humans or even an elephant.
The venom of the king cobra d.amages the brain’s respiratory centers, resulting in respiratory arrest and h.eart failure.
The king cobra is a protected species in Vietnam. Within this snake’s geographic distribution, protected areas are likely to give some protection, and groups like the King Cobra Conservancy aim to better understand the species’ behaviour in order to educate the public and maintain the snake’s habitat.
Microchips are implanted in captive king cobras by the Indian government to allow officials to identify any snakes that have recently been captured captive—which is p.rohibited—in order to d.ecrea.se the i.lle.gal wildlife trade.
