Jazz Torres Ong is no stranger to rescuing animals. After all, she founded Wildlife Matters, a non-profit organization focused on wildlife preservation. Her organization also travels around the Philippines to help educate the masses on handling wild animals.
During her travels, she managed to rescue one of the most unique Snakes she has ever encountered: the Philippine King Cobra. According to Jazz, it was her most memorable experience as a rescuer.
SAFETY FIRST
If by any chance you encounter a Snake in your home or vicinity, please get in touch with local animal rescuers (or local authorities), and please do not get near the Snake.
Read: Do not attempt to kill a Snake! Let the professionals handle the animal.
THE BEGINNING
Jazz recalled how someone else rescued the King Cobra. It was the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) that eventually sought Jazz’s help.
“When we saw [the Cobra], he had so many bruises and yung skin niya was problematic, kasi meron na siyang mga stuck shed. (When we saw [the Cobra], he had so many bruises, and his skin was problematic because he already had stuck shed.)”
“So, we had to teach DENR what they should do. We also gave a demonstration and taught them how to provide vitamins and feed the Cobra. We also helped in finding food for the King Cobra.”
SNAKE REHAB
After Jazz rescued the King Cobra, she and her team, along with DENR, rehabilitated the Snake. “It doesn’t stop with turning over [the Snake to the authorities] . . . We gave them advice. We helped them, we gave them advice on how to keep the Snake alive because usually these Snakes don’t do well in captivity.”
She taught the DENR people how to administer vitamins and look for the right food. She explained that the King Cobra has a very specific diet, as they are also Snake-eaters.
Because they were in one of DENR’s rescue centers, she educated the rescuers on how to take care of other wild animals as well.
ONE-OF-A-KIND KING
Jazz explained that the King Cobras native to the Philippines have a unique lineage.
“The King Cobra we have here differs from the King Cobras in Southeast Asia. They’re only found in the Philippines; the one we rescued was in Luzon, and they’re only found in Luzon. Finding this King Cobra was like seeing something so rare and valuable.”
AND THE KING COBRA RETURNS HOME
Once Jazz confirmed that the King Cobra was doing well after rehabilitation and there was government approval, they released the Snake back to their home.
Jazz was glad that the local community was open-minded — after all, they allowed the Cobra’s release. “King Cobras have certain needs, they can’t be released in places far from where they were found because they have a specific home range, so we worked with the government and we really insisted that it would be released in a place that was not far from where it was found, so that it had good chances of living.”
Once the Cobra was back in their habitat, her group facilitated talks on Snake awareness and first aid for bites. They also gave training on how to Snake-proof homes.
For Jazz, aside from wildlife, the people in the community also mattered. That explains her tagline, “King and for its people”: Conservation is not just about animals, but also about humans.
