ZOO’S KING COBRA

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 May 1936, Page 8

ZOO’S KING COBRA

SAVING ON £4 MEALS. LONDON, March 21. The Zoo’s largest hamadryad or king cobra, a specimen measuring 12ft 9in in length, has suddenly developed an economical taste in food. In their natural state these snakes live on other reptiles and Zoo hamadryads are invariably awkward at feeding-times. Unless they can have the exact kind of snake or lizard that they happen to fancy they will not feed. This 12ft 9in hamadryad has always demanded Malayan black-and-gold snakes costing £4 a-piece and has gone hungry if there was no black-and-gold snake available for his dinner. But during the winter he became sluggish and took only two meals, and he was now awakened with a hearty appetite. When the reptile appeared to be wanting food the keeper decided to try the experiment of offering him “cheap food,” though lie had little hope of success.

To his .surprise the hamadryad not only ate a dead rat, but Inked round for a second and ate it also. This is the first time for many years that a Zoo king cobra has condescended lo eat rats.