Snakes on a Train: How King Cobras Are Spreading Across India Thanks to the World’s Busiest Railway Network

A surprising new study suggests that some of India’s most infamous reptiles — king cobras — may be inadvertently using the nation’s vast and busy railway network to travel far beyond their natural habitats, raising fresh questions about wildlife movement, human-animal interactions, and rail infrastructure’s unintended ecological impacts.
The research, published in the scientific journal Biotropica, compiled 22 years of king cobra rescue records and verified sightings from 2002 to 2024 across the western Indian state of Goa — a region nestled between coastal plains and the biodiverse Western Ghats. By mapping these records against ecological models of the species’ preferred environment, scientists uncovered an unexpected pattern.
Unusual Cobra Occurrences Along Railway Corridors
King cobras (Ophiophagus kaalinga), among the world’s longest venomous snakes, are typically associated with dense forests, riverine ecosystems, and undisturbed inland regions. Yet researchers identified five locations near major railway corridors where cobras were spotted in settings far less suitable than their natural forest home.
One notable example involved a king cobra being found close to Chandor railway station, sheltering near stored rails and concrete structures — an environment wholly unsuited to a forest-dwelling predator. Others were recorded near tracks at Vasco da Gama, Loliem, Patnem, and Palolem — all locations associated with heavy train traffic rather than lush habitat.
Scientists observed that these “outlier” records all occurred within a few hundred metres of railway infrastructure, prompting a novel hypothesis: trains may be acting as inadvertent transport vectors, moving king cobras from their native forests into unsuitable or marginal habitats where survival prospects are uncertain.
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Trains as Unintended Ecological Highways
India’s railways are the world’s busiest by passenger volume, with freight and goods lines crisscrossing hundreds of kilometres of landscape, including biodiversity hotspots like the Western Ghats. The study proposes that snakes — while not intentionally seeking out train travel — might board freight wagons or find shelter in rail yards while pursuing prey such as rodents or other snakes.
Once aboard, a train’s high speed and extensive reach could carry an individual snake dozens of kilometres away from its typical range, depositing it in terrain ill-suited to its ecological needs. This passive movement mechanism — distinct from active dispersal — represents a novel aspect of how human infrastructure can shape wildlife distributions, researchers say.
The phenomenon echoes broader concerns in conservation science about linear structures (like roads and railways) fragmenting habitats — but here, the unintended consequence appears to be connecting distant regions instead of dividing them. Trains may serve as a kind of “high-speed conduit,” moving animals across ecological barriers that would otherwise limit their movements.
Drivers and Risks
Several factors may make railway environments attractive — or at least accessible — to king cobras. Freight yards and rail sidings often host abundant rodents, a staple in cobra diets, while dark crevices and stacks of materials provide shelter. In some instances, cobras may pursue these cues at night and inadvertently end up aboard a passing train.
However, arriving in an unfamiliar or unsuitable habitat can be perilous for the snakes. Outside their core ecological range, they face heat stress, limited prey, and increased encounters with humans, potentially heightening conflict and risk. Likewise, train passengers and railway workers may be startled or endangered by unexpected snake encounters, given the king cobra’s potent venom and reputational fearfulness.
Researchers note that improved tracking — such as camera traps at rail hubs, genetic studies, and targeted monitoring — could help clarify the scale of this dispersal mechanism and whether it truly represents a significant expansion of the species’ range. At present, the pattern remains a working hypothesis supported by rescue data and spatial analysis.
Broader Implications and Future Monitoring
This research highlights an under-appreciated dimension of human-wildlife interaction: that infrastructure designed for efficient movement of people and goods can inadvertently influence the distribution of wildlife — in this case, a species both ecologically important and symbolically powerful in India.
As climate change, habitat loss, and expanding transport networks continue to reshape ecological landscapes, scientists warn that such unintended consequences may become more common. Understanding the intersection of wildlife behavior and human systems — and the risks and opportunities it presents — could prove crucial for both conservation and public safety.