A snow- white cobra gifted to the Thrissur zoo recently, has become a crowd puller, with children especially arriving in droves to stare with curiosity at the rare serpent displayed in a glass jar.
The baby albino cobra was gifted to the zoo authorities by a man named Manikandand , who found it among the13 baby cobras born in the grounds of his house in Triprayar.
Seeing how rare it was, he brought it to the zoo on June 24, where it has remained under the special care of employees, who are feeding it grasshoppers and lizards. The authorities plan to shift the cobra to a glass enclosure after six months.
“The baby cobra hasn’t displayed any signs of stress and has adapted to its new habitat very well,” says Joseph, the snake- keeper who stands besides the exhibit to answer any questions that visitors may have.
The reptile needs daily treatment to protect its sensitive skin and to help it adapt and survive in the new environment,” he explains.
Albino snakes lack the melanin pigmentation that other snakes have, according to veterinary experts.
“This snake doesn't usually survive for long in the wild as it has virtually no camouflage,” explains Mr P.B. Giridas, a veterinary surgeon, however, warning that an albino cobra is as venomous as any other cobra.
Source: The Deccan Chronicle 30 June 2012