Keri: A Surat-based researcher, along with an international team, has mapped 47 king cobra (ophiophagus kaalinga) localities across Goa, many of them along railway corridors and stations, areas entirely unsuitable for forest-dwelling snakes. Of the 47 confirmed locations, 18 were in North Goa and 29 in South Goa. Five cobras were documented near railway tracks, including one found directly at a station.The research, led by Indian scientist Dikansh Parmar and published in Biotropica on Jan 26, highlights how even apex predators can be influenced by human-dominated landscapes. The team, including Dennis Rödder (Germany), Hinrich Kaiser (USA), and local rescuers Rinku Gupta and Amrut Singh of the Animal Rescue Squad Goa (ARSG), combined field observations, rescue records and species distribution models. While the models accurately predicted suitable forest habitats, five king cobras appeared in ecologically improbable locations near railway lines. One was discovered coiled beneath the tracks at a Goan station, marking a first-ever observation in such an environment.Parmar, who personally coordinated and led the study, spent years verifying sightings, tracking rescues and integrating local knowledge with scientific modelling. “I pushed my mind and body to the limit for this study,” he said. “Every record, every rescue, every kilometre walked was critical to understanding these snakes and their hidden journeys.”Amrut Singh, when contacted by TOI, said the findings show how human infrastructure can unintentionally shape wildlife movement, even for apex predators like the king cobra. “It is the need of the hour that development planning does not take a toll on wildlife and their natural habitats,” he said.The study also proposes a striking hypothesis, that king cobras may occasionally hitch rides on trains, unintentionally expanding their range. These observations suggest that human infrastructure may silently create corridors for apex predators, while also raising potential safety concerns.
