A 67-year-old farmer who went missing for a day was found dead after he was believed to have been attacked by a king cobra at a farm in Magpet, Cotabato.

According to the victim’s family, he went to his farm around 4 a.m. on Saturday, August 23, 2025, to tend to his banana and cassava crops and tap rubber trees but failed to return home.

At first, the family thought he might have spent the night in a shanty at the farm. However, he was found lifeless the following morning several meters from the shanty.

The farmer was believed to have been bitten by a venomous king cobra as fang marks were discovered on several parts of his body.

“Naa sila’y nakit-an sa lawas nga napaakan ug nagadugo-dugo. Naa sa tiil, naa sa kamot, naa sa iyang singit,” victim’s niece, Riza Ampon, said.

“Lumalabas na sa investigation natin na walang foul play. Visible talaga yung snake bites at saka accordingly, ang nakakagat sa kanya is isang king cobra o banakon,” Magpet Police Station Chief, Major Abdusalam Mamalinta Jr., said.

Authorities said king cobras are known to be aggressive when their territory is disturbed.

“Based sa mga witnesses natin, kwento dito ng ating mga residents ay may tendency pala itong king cobra na maging aggressive ‘pag na-invade yung kanilang territory,” Mamalinta added.

The victim’s body has been turned over to his family for proper burial.