The special scales over their eyes, known as caps, are a snake's equivalent of eyelids. During their natural shedding process, these eye caps are usually removed with the dead skin.

However, in this case, Raja was left with his existing eye caps, unable to remove them alone. A problem that could potentially lead to blindness. Keepers were quick to help out.

The 4.3 metre-long venomous snake is believed to be one of the country's longest - so this job required all hands on deck.

Head of Reptiles, Dan Rumsey, was among the four keepers on-site, and admitted the venture certainly had hearts racing.

"But the very heart of our job is keeping our animals healthy and it was clear Raja needed us to step in and help," he said.

Dan went on to explain the importance of keeping the park's animals healthy and safe.

"Weighing and measuring in reptiles is crucial in monitoring their health," he maintained.

This monitoring process is especially important for snakes like Raja, since the species is now listed as vulnerable, with a decreasing population. With the reptile's infamous venom toxicity, and a rapid increase in deforestation, the King Cobra is now a rare species.

To see Raja in the flesh, you can visit The Australian Reptile Park in Somersby on the Central Coast - the first zoo in Australia to import the species and continue its breeding program.

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