King Cobras are dreaded snakes, their venom powerful enough to kill a full-grown elephant in three hours.
But the snakes are generally shy animals, usually avoiding confrontation with people. There are several smaller venomous snakes in India, which cause far more deadly bites.
Cobras do not usually see dogs as food, but the puppies’ mother and rescue teams were very concerned that something terrible could happen.
But rather than attack the pups, the snake appeared to be protecting them. The cobra guarded them from the other side of the well which contained soft wet soil which the puppies could have gotten stuck in.
For 48 hours, the small puppies remained with the cobra in the well – and at no point did the cobra show any aggression towards them.
When the authorities eventually managed to rescue the puppoes, it was easier than they had predicted. The cobra gently moved itself over so that they could retrieve the puppies without any problem.
