Carl the King Cobra (c. 2000-2024)
Obituary
Carl, estimated to be 24 years old, died after an illness at the beginning of October.
Carl, a King cobra, passed at the ABQ BioPark Zoo in New Mexico. The necropsy revealed his cause of death to be a type of bacterial infection common in older reptiles.
Considered “spunky” by staff, Carl was one of the largest snakes at the facility at 13-and-a-half feet long. Carl’s history before arriving at BioPark in 2011 is not known.
Carl had arthritis and cataracts. At his age, he was in need of routine supportive care and monitoring. Signs of swelling and decreased activity were observed in the days before he passed, symptoms that align with the infection that was discovered.
Wild animals cannot thrive in captivity. King cobras are native to Southeast Asia, ranging from India to China and even throughout Indonesia and the Philippines. They prefer dense habitats such as mangrove swamps and bamboo thickets and spend almost a fourth of their time in trees and bushes.
If you want to observe wild animals in your communities or while on vacation, we encourage you to visit and support accredited wild animal sanctuaries or Wildlife Heritage Areas.
