Indian Man Gives King Cobra Water Amid Long-Running Drought

If you didn’t know, southern India is in the midst of a severe drought. This is bad for humans and animals alike. The drought is so severe that a king cobra recently made its way into a village apparently to beg for water. Two brave men complied, and the result is this incredible video.

Filmed in the Kaiga village in Karnataka, the 12-foot-long snake can be seen drinking thirstily from a bottle of water. It even gets a shower of water over its head to cool down. One man holds the snake’s tail to ward off a potential attack, and the other has a snake-catcher tool just in case, but the snake is not aggressive. It just wanted a drink, like every other inhabitant of the drought-stricken area.

According to the Smithsonian National Zoo, the king cobra can reach lengths of up to 18 feet. It is one of the most venomous snakes in the world and is considered aggressive, but only when cornered or protecting its eggs. It typically preys upon other snakes and small vertebrates, and is incredibly shy. That makes it all the more incredible that this particular specimen willingly entered a densely populated area just to seek water.

According to the Daily Mail, wildlife officials in southern India say the prolonged drought has been extremely dangerous for the wild animals in the area. Luckily, this particular snake was eventually taken to a rescue facility where it will be cared for.

Interestingly, this is not the first time a situation like this has been filmed. A video uploaded to YouTube in 2014 shows another man sharing a drink with a cobra, but in an unknown location.

With the drought in southern India showing no sign of breaking anytime soon, it’s especially kindhearted that people would share their limited water with needy animals… even the giant, poisonous kind.