Important notice
The upcoming symposium will be rescheduled to a later date due to current international instability and ongoing conflicts affecting travel and global logistics. We sincerely regret any inconvenience this may cause. As soon as updates are available and a new date has been confirmed this information will be updated accordingly.
Kālinga Foundation, in collaboration with The Herpetofauna Foundation (Netherlands), is proud to host an international symposium dedicated to the fascinating world of elapid snakes, with a special focus on the King Cobra. This three-day event will bring together leading researchers, conservationists, medical professionals, and policymakers to explore critical themes including elapid ecology, evolution, venom biology, and snakebite mitigation across tropical Asia.
The symposium will spotlight research, foster global collaboration, and promote effective conservation strategies. With sessions ranging from evolutionary studies and radio telemetry workshops to antivenom development and public health initiatives, the event aims to bridge science and action.
Through talks, technical sessions, and networking opportunities, we also aim to nurture young researchers and catalyze interdisciplinary efforts for meaningful impact in conservation and public health.
We invite your participation and support in shaping this pioneering platform for science, conservation, and solutions to the snakebite crisis.
Stay tuned for more information.
He is the founder-director of Kalinga Foundation in Agumbe and has studied king cobras for nearly two decades. A pioneer in radio telemetry research, he earned his PhD in India and studied in Sweden. A 2020 TED Fellow, he has been featured in major wildlife documentaries and awarded ‘Herpetologist of the Year 2015.’ His work has identified four distinct king cobra species, and he actively promotes wildlife conservation through social media.
Dr. Wolfgang Wüster, Assistant Professor at the University of Bangor, UK, is a leading expert on venomous snakes, specializing in their systematics and toxinology. He focuses on medically important snakes such as cobras, kraits, king cobras, and vipers, emphasizing taxonomic clarity to help address the global human snakebite crisis. He has authored nearly 200 scientific publications.
Joe has worked with reptiles since the 1970s, including under William Haast at the Miami Serpentarium. He serves on IUCN specialist groups, leads an environmental consulting firm, and has appeared on major media outlets. His global conservation work focuses on biodiversity, sustainability, and local community involvement.
Dr. Kartik Shanker is a professor at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, studying the ecology of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and marine life. He leads sea turtle and shark monitoring programs, co-founded Dakshin Foundation and Current Conservation, and authored From Soup to Superstar and several children's books.
We are pleased to invite workshop proposals for the upcoming international symposium titled: The King and Other Elapid Snakes of the Oriental Tropics. The symposium will be held from 16th to 18th October 2026 at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
We are excited to launch The Conservation Courtyard, a space designed to bring together a diverse and inspiring community of conservation professionals and creative working on snakes and other herpetofauna.