The king cobra is the largest venomous snake in the world. As an apex predator, it plays a critical role in ecosystem processes. But the species is understudied and subject to human persecution, as it tends to spend significant time in high-risk areas around settlements. Situated in Thailand’s northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, the Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve (SBR) is home to both the king cobra and numerous other threatened species, including the leopard cat, leopard, Asiatic black bear, Malayan sunbear, red dhole, golden jackal, the Sunda slow loris and Sunda pangolin. If used as a flagship species, the king cobra’s expansive home range will provide vast tracts of protected habitat for these species as well.