THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a nerve-wracking six-minute operation that has now gone viral, G S Roshni, Kerala’s only woman snake catcher in the forest department, successfully rescued a 16-foot-long king cobra from a residential area in Peppara, Thiruvananthapuram — marking the 800th snake she has safely relocated.

As the massive, venomous serpent lay coiled near a stream frequented by locals for bathing, a crowd watched in tense silence. Armed only with a hook and a black bag, Roshni calmly approached and guided the snake into the sack without protective gear like gloves or gumboots.

“This was my first king cobra rescue — a dream I’ve held since becoming a certified snake rescuer in 2019,” said Roshni, a Botany graduate and head of the Rapid Response Team (RRT) at the Paruthippally forest range. “King cobras are shy and rarely spotted outside dense forests, especially in Thiruvananthapuram.”

Despite its reputation as the world’s longest venomous snake, Roshni handled the cobra with precision. “Catching a king cobra is risky due to its length. It can twist around swiftly and strike even from a distance,” she explained. “Its strength and agility demand absolute focus.”

Roshni has been serving as a beat forest officer for eight years and belongs to Kerala’s first batch of women forest officers. Over the years, she has rescued and relocated more than 800 snakes, most of them venomous, from human-inhabited zones.

Her team typically responds to 20 to 25 snake sighting calls a day, especially during the monsoon. Yet, for Roshni, it’s more than a job — it’s a passion rooted in courage, conservation, and community safety.

Her recent feat has drawn admiration from across the country, with social media hailing her as “India’s real-life snake charmer” and a symbol of fearless service in the wild.