The Nova Nature Welfare Society raised the awareness about Mysterious lives of King Cobra snakes and emphasised the importance of their conservation on World Snakes Day, celebrated annually on July 16, in Korba Forest Division. Korba district holds significant wildlife importance as it is home to a variety of species including leopards, elephants, otters, flying squirrels, and notably, the King Cobra. This district is the only natural habitat of the King Cobra in central India. The conservation of these species is heavily reliant on the collaboration between local communities and wildlife experts. The participation of local people is crucial for effective conservation efforts.

 

This year, the Nova Nature Welfare Society has been working on the King Cobra Project in the Korba Forest Division. Under the guidance of Divisional Forest Officer Arvind PM, Trainee Forest Divisional Officer Chandra Kumar Agrawal IFS, and Sub-Divisional Officers Ashish Khelwar and Suryakant Soni, various online programs were organized. These included reel making, drawing, and quizzes, with students from across Korba participating enthusiastically. To reward the participants and celebrate World Snake Day, a program was held in the Forest Department Hall. Attendees were shown educational films, and participants in the painting competition were honored with King Cobra Frame Certificates. Shrishti Sharma won first place, Prince Kumar secured second, and Rahul Yadav took third. In reel making, Salesh Lahare achieved first place, followed by Shweta Upadhyay in second and Bhumika Tandon in third. The quiz competition saw Sanjana Barve in first place, Krishna Barve in second, and Shraddha in third. The event highlighted the importance of the King Cobra and the necessity of its conservation in the Korba forest area. The ongoing project on King Cobra has identified volunteers eager to support conservation efforts.

 

This group, known as the Response Team, aims to assist in snake rescues, manage human-wildlife conflict situations, address wildlife crimes, and handle other wildlife-related issues. The team discussed their work with the Forest Department, emphasising their commitment to conservation. The event saw participation from Sejal Dubey of Agora Eco Tourism, Dr Alok Sahu, Secretary of Nova Nature Welfare Society, along with Moiz Ahmad, Jitendra Sarthi, Mayank Bakshi, Siddhant Jain, Upendra Chauhan, Raju Barman, and numerous citizens and children from the district. The collaborative efforts on World Snake Day reflect Korba’s dedication to preserving its unique wildlife heritage.