King cobra sanctuary owner dies from bite

A British king cobra enthusiast who was trying to save the species with a captive breeding program died Wednesday after one of his snakes bit him, police said. The body of Luke Yeomans, 47, was found on his property in Eastwood, a town about 8 miles northwest of Nottingham, by Nottinghamshire Police, The Independent reported. The snake believed responsible for the bite was captured. Yeomans had 20 adult king cobras and four juveniles on the property. He told the BBC a few days ago he hoped to have another 100 snakes born in captivity by the end of the year. "I am maintaining this breeding colony of king cobras as a safety net to protect the species from possible extinction," he said in the interview. "Until mankind changes the way he treats the natural world, a living ark is required for the survival of many animal species." The king cobra, the longest venomous snake and one of the most dangerous, can grow to more than 18 feet long. Its habitat is the forests of southern India and southeast Asia. Yeomans planned to admit the public to his sanctuary this weekend, hoping to educate people about king cobras. "People do say that I am mad but I say it's better than people saying you're bad," he said. "I think everything I am doing is good."