King Cobra Nest with 23 Eggs Found in Jegu, Tabanan

Yayasan Reptil Asih Tabanan found a king cobra nest in Banjar Jegu Tengah, Jegu village, Penebel district, Tabanan, on Thursday (8 October 2026). The nest was located in a resident’s plantation and contained 23 king cobra eggs, which were said to be ready to hatch.

The adult snake was not found near the site, even though the team had carried out surveillance in the surrounding area for several days before the nest was dug up.

The chairperson of the Yayasan Reptil Asih Tabanan, Ni Putu Astridayanti, said the nest measured about 126 centimetres in diameter, with an outer circumference of around 285 centimetres, and was roughly 30 centimetres deep.

“There are 23 eggs. The mother was not found, although the team had already conducted surveillance around the location several days earlier,” said Astridayanti.

When the nest was examined, the temperature inside it was recorded at 27.6 degrees Celsius, while the air outside was about 25.5 degrees Celsius.

The discovery is the foundation’s first find of this year involving a king cobra clutch of this size.

A day earlier, on Wednesday (7 October), the team also evacuated a female king cobra measuring about 2.3 metres in Banjar Sambian Undagi, Timpag village, Kerambitan district. The snake was found to be pregnant, and the team estimated it was preparing to search for or create a site for nesting.

The evacuation followed reports from residents who had spotted the snake. Because the location lay on a path frequently used by the community, the snake was relocated to prevent unrest and potential conflict between the reptile and local people.

“The one in Timpag is pregnant and is estimated to be about to build a nest. Since residents saw it and the location is a community path, we finally relocated it so the public would not be worried,” explained Astridayanti.

The two findings suggest that king cobra breeding activity is still present in Tabanan. The Yayasan Reptil Asih Tabanan has cautioned residents against attempting to handle large snakes on their own, particularly king cobras.

Residents are urged to report sightings promptly to parties with the capacity to carry out evacuation and relocation, so that both human safety and wildlife welfare are maintained.