PREVIEW

Australian zookeepers have successfully performed a health check on a highly venomous snake. Sultan the King Cobra, a resident at The Australian Park, is known to be incredibly deadly and one bite often proves to be fatal without the treatment of antivenom. To be able to handle the exotic species, the Park were required to have specialised antivenom imported from overseas. King Cobras are among the largest snakes in the world, often exceeding 5 meters in length when fully grown. Astonishingly, Sultan measured a whopping 3.4 meters long and weighed an impressive 5.5 kilograms. Already at this length, Sultan very well could be the longest venomous snake living in Australia. The most dangerous task during the health check was milking the cobra. King Cobras are notorious for producing substantial venom yields, making them one of the deadliest snakes in the world. Milking the cobra was essential to evaluate the health of its venom, while also providing an opportunity to closely inspect its fangs. During the milking process, Sultan yielded an astonishing 350 milligrams of venom.