Animals That Kill Cobras (10 Surprising Cobra Slayers)

How would you respond if you saw a cobra?

For most, seeing a cobra would elicit fear. And perhaps even panic.

But not everyone reacts like that.

In fact, humans made our list of animals that kill cobras.

But we put them at the bottom of the list, although we kill the most cobras of all. What animals are above us?

Keep reading to find out. Some of them will definitely surprise you. We’ve even got some videos, so you can see it with your own eyes.

 

Animals That Kill Cobras

The following animals have all been known to kill cobras. Some do it out of self-defense, while others actually prey on the snakes. And of course, we humans are the deadliest animal of them all.

 

Mongoose

Don’t let the mongoose’s small size fool you. This little guy is a tough fighter and happens to be one of the biggest enemies of snakes. Especially cobras.

Here are some factors that work in favor of the mongoose when it comes to defeating a cobra:

• Agility
• Sharp reflexes
• Sharp teeth to grip the snake and rip its body apart
• Resistance to snake venom – research shows that mongooses emerge victorious against venomous snakes like cobras 75 to 80% of the time

Here is the mongoose’s modus operandi when it fights a king cobra:

• The mongoose continuously dodges the striking action of the snake. The snake is not as fast and cannot keep up with the mongoose.
• The mongoose then goes behind the snake and bites it from the tail end. It also bites the snake on its side until the snake recoils.
• Once the snake is tired, the mongoose will bite its head repeatedly. It will gnaw and twist until the snake is torn into pieces.

 

Dogs

It is not just large dogs like German Shepherds and Rottweilers that can guard your household from deadly snakes like cobras. Even small dog breeds like Jack Russell Terriers have been known to kill these deadly creatures. Check out this video:

A dog takes on a cobra using the following actions:

• First, it will circle the cobra, when it has assumed the striking position.
• The smart dog will try to find the snake’s most vulnerable side.
• The cobra is at a disadvantage, because it cannot keep up with the dog’s speed and agility.
• Finally, the dog takes hold of the snake’s tail. It grips the snake and wrestles with it until it is completely exhausted and gives up.

Dogs can also prevent snakes from entering your property by barking and alerting you. If your dog has found a cobra on your property, quickly enlist the help of your local reptile rescue organization to capture it humanely.

 

Cats

Cats are also known to protect their households from deadly snakes, including cobras. Here is how a cat could win a fight against a cobra:

• Cats have the instinct to keep a safe distance from the striking snake.
• Cats are also gifted with agility, which helps them quickly move out of harm’s way.
• The cat repeatedly strikes at the snake with its paws to injure it.
• Eventually, the snake will tire while the cat persists.

Cats are also known to prevent deadly snakes from entering their owner’s property. They can alert the owners to the cobra’s presence and stand guard until the owners get help from the local reptile control organization. Most snakes fear cats, so they will keep their distance.

 

Elephants

There is a chance that a cobra’s venom could kill an elephant but in most cases, the cobra is no match for the elephant’s strength.

An elephant can repeatedly stomp on the cobra and crush it. Elephants weigh nearly 7 tons or about 4000 to 6,000 kilos. By simply standing on the deadly cobra, the elephant can crush it before the snake can strike.

 

Roosters

Roosters are surprising contenders on this list of animals that can kill cobras. Do not let the rooster’s size mislead you into thinking it is weaker than the cobra.

Roosters are natural protectors of their flocks. They constantly scan the ground and the skies to watch out for terrestrial and aerial predators.

If a rooster sees a cobra, he will round up his flock to safety. He will also march up and down around the gathered birds until the danger has passed. He might flap his large wings and peck at the cobra until it slithers away from the coop.

Here is a video showing a fight between a rooster and a cobra. The rooster continuously pecks at the snake. It also picks it up and drops it repeatedly. In the end, the rooster even swallows the entire snake!

 

Lion

This fight can go both ways. The king cobra’s venom is deadly to large predators like lions and it can easily bring the animal down. However, as shown in this news report, a lion at a zoo in India repeatedly struck a king cobra, grabbed its tail and neck, and bit the snake until it was torn into two pieces.

 

Tiger

As with the lion, the king cobra has enough venom to kill a tiger. However, tigers are sometimes known to eat poisonous snakes, including king cobras, in cases of food shortages.

In the Sunderbans, a postmortem on a dead old tiger revealed that it had eaten not one, but two cobras, of which one was a king cobra. The tiger was old and probably very hungry.

No other food was available as there had been a cyclone in the area recently. Consequently, it may have taken this extreme step due to hunger and old age. Tigers are not usually known to eat snakes.

 

Hedgehogs

Hedgehogs are cute and small animals that, at first glance, seem incapable of fighting off cobras and other deadly snakes. However, their armor of spines protects them from the cobra’s bite.

Furthermore, these sharp spines injure the snake by piercing its skin. The hedgehog then bites the weakened snake on its head until it is dead. The animal may then slowly eat the dead snake.

Worry not: hedgehogs are known to have developed resistance to the venom of certain venomous snakes, like pit vipers.

 

Skunks

Skunks, like hedgehogs, have developed resistance to snake venom, including rattlesnake venom. These small, stinky animals are even known to eat rattlesnakes for lunch!

Even the deadly cobra may not be a match for the skunk. So, if it comes to a fight between the two animals, there is a good chance the skunk will win.

First, the skunk will spray the snake with its oily secretion, which has a foul odor. This will stun the snake. The skunk will then repeatedly strike at the snake until it is dead. It might also eat the snake.

 

Humans

While a cobra’s venom will surely kill a human, humans are the biggest predators of cobras. Even an unarmed human can skillfully capture a cobra and kill it. Humans have the advantage of intelligence, speed, and stamina.

Also, a cobra is vulnerable in certain parts of its body, especially its tail and midsection. We know to take advantage of that weakness. We are also distinctly larger and more agile than a cobra.

Even without tools, an unarmed human can easily strike, grapple, punch, and strangle the cobra around its neck and midsection, making sure to prevent the cobra from spitting or injecting venom through its fangs.

 

Animals That Can Kill A Cobra: Final Thoughts

Each of the creatures listed above possesses unique abilities and strategies to defend themselves against deadly cobras. From agility and sharp reflexes to physical strength and resistance to snake venom, these animals demonstrate remarkable skills in overcoming the threat posed by these snake.

Despite the inherent danger associated with cobras, the natural world is filled with surprising examples of resilience and adaptability among different species. Some fight cobras in defense, while others do so to eat them.

And then there is our race. The humans. We are the only animals that kill cobras for no good reason at all. Of course, that’s not always the case, but it often is.