Roshni, the snake charmer: 16-foot king cobra is latest of 800 snakes rescued by Kerala forest officer

Roshni has to her credit catching and relocating 800-odd snakes, most of them venomous, from human settlements in the state capital district of Thiruvananthapuram. A beat forest officer for the last eight years, Roshni is the only woman snake catcher in Kerala forest department. She is among the first batch of women forest officers in the state.

“This is the first time I caught a king cobra. It had been my dream since I started as a certified snake rescuer in the department in 2019. King cobra, a shy snake, is rarely seen outside the forest. While many snake catchers elsewhere in Kerala have rescued king cobras, I did not get such a chance in Thiruvananthapuram, where this species is rarely spotted,’’ said the Botany graduate.

Roshni, who heads the rapid response team (RRT) at Paruthippally forest range, was alerted about the king cobra in Anchumaruthumoodi near Peppara wildlife sanctuary. When she and her team reached the spot, the serpent was seen resting near a stream where local people often come for bathing. With a black bag and hook, Roshni stepped into the water and in the next six minutes the snake was safely in the bag, secured with a knot, as the crowd heaved a sigh of relief.

“I never use gumboots and hand gloves while rescuing snakes. It is risky to catch a king cobra mainly because of its length. When you catch the tail of a king cobra, its length enables it to swiftly turn against you and attack. To save itself, a king cobra can coil with its head and tail on a single point,’’ she said.

Roshni said her office usually gets around two dozen calls a day regarding snake spotting in residential areas.

On snake catching, she said, “You need courage and presence of mind. Concentration is very important. We have to weigh our safety, the snake’s safety and that of the onlookers. I enjoy catching snakes and have the support of my family. Many others have got trained over the years, but they might not have ventured into snake catching for want of support from family or courage,’’ she said.

Releasing the snakes into the forest is riskier than catching them, she said. “Tied in a bag after being caught, the snake gets provoked while being released,’’ she said.

On days when she is away from office, Roshini leaves to rescue a snake in her car or scooter. “On most such occasions, there would be a snake in the trunk of the car or the storage of the scooter. I will be riding a scooter with a snake in the storage under the seat,’’ said Roshni.

Watch the video here:

My salutations to the green queens & the bravery shown by them in wild🙏

Beat FO G S Roshni, part of Rapid Response Team of Kerala FD rescuing a 16 feet king cobra.This was the 1st time she was tackling a king cobra though she is credited to have rescued more than 800 snakes… pic.twitter.com/E0a8JGqO4c

— Susanta Nanda IFS (Retd) (@susantananda3) July 7, 2025