It's mating season: King Cobras sighted in Cebu

Cebu in recent months saw an increase in King Cobra sightings due to the venomous snake's mating season, authorities said. 

In a video uploaded by Khenny Bria Surbano, two King Cobras locally known as banakon appeared to be fighting by the roadside in Barangay Busay, Cebu City on Sunday while responders shooed them.

"Please be careful," Surbano wrote in his post.

Last January 26, two cobras were also seen in Barangay Babayongan in Dalaguete town, Cebu. 

Residents thought the snakes were palm leaves but were shocked when the cobras hissed and moved. The residents killed the snakes out of fear. 

Ahas patay sa kagat ng lalaki sa Bohol

RESURGENCE

The Department of Natural Resources (DENR) - Central Visayas said at a news forum hosted by myTV Cebu that they expected increased sightings of King Cobras in Cebu due to their mating season from January to April.

The agency said that there were records of King Cobras in the province as early as the 1950. But the snakes saw a resurgence recently and social media made the public aware of their presence, authorities said. 

“Maybe in the past, they weren’t disturbed or that their population also increased,” said Rainier Manlegro, chief of the Biodiversity and Wildlife.

ANTI-VENOM

An anti-venom for King Cobra is available at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, the DENR said. It is a polyvalent antidote and could be used for different species of snakes, the agency added.

They also advise the public to refrain from provoking the snakes so that they would not be agitated and attack. 

King Cobras are common in the Philippines and other parts of Asia. 

Other sightings in Cebu included incidents in San Fernando, Badian, and Tabogon since last year.