A Civil Defence Force officer described the capture of a large and aggressive king cobra in Pendang as the most challenging encounter of his career.
Corporal (PA) Mohamad Syukri Ahmad, 30, said it was the first time he had dealt with such a large and aggressive king cobra during his service with the Civil Defence Force.
“The snake stared directly at me when I approached it, although it did not flare its hood. The situation was extremely challenging. One wrong move could have been fatal,” he said.
Mohamad Syukri recounted that the nearly four-metre-long king cobra was captured yesterday afternoon at the remains of an old house in Kediaman Mesra Rakyat, Kampung Dato Syed Ahmad.
The snake was discovered beneath a zinc roof by a man in his 30s who lives next to the abandoned structure.
Based on his 11 years of experience with the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM), Mohamad Syukri believed the king cobra had recently shed its skin, as it appeared fresh.
“When we attempted to capture it, the snake moved into a difficult area and later re-emerged. We had to carefully control it to prevent it from escaping,” he added.
Meanwhile, Pendang Civil Defence Officer Lieutenant (PA) Yuslina Yusoff said her department received an emergency call about the sighting at 6.27pm.
“Upon arrival, the Pendang APM team inspected the area and found the king cobra still within the house premises. Our officers then used special equipment to safely capture the snake,” she said.
She added that the rescue operation was completed by 6.54pm without any injuries to personnel.
