There’s something in the primal reaction we have towards creatures like snakes, especially here in Thailand with the ominous presence of the king cobra. It’s a fear that grips deep, perhaps the survival instincts of generations. For me, this fear of snakes, especially of the venomous kind, has always been a constant. Parichad shares it, though her bravery outshines mine. While I tense up and feel that dread at just the thought of a snake slithering close by, she, stick in hand, will confront the intruder, ushering it out of harm’s way – and ours.

And yet, in recent days, something within me has shifted. Watching with Parichad the YouTube videos of ‘Captain Snake’, a Thai soldier who devotes his spare time to the rescue and care of these very creatures, the king cobras, a profound realisation has taken root. This man, unshaken by fear, embraces these snakes in a way that defies all we might assume about them. He respects them, touches them, communicates with them as beings, not as enemies or threats. With care, he rescues injured, sick, and sometimes dying cobras, with a depth of compassion that speaks to a truth I hadn’t recognised before.

Witnessing this man, I felt something crack open inside, a humbling reminder that our instinctual fear, though natural, may also blind us to life’s interconnectedness. To him, these cobras are not monsters but lives with value. I found myself moved, deeply, at the sight of a once-feared creature being cradled and nursed with care, and realised how little difference there is between us and them, between any living thing and us, truly.

Every creature, from the smallest insect to the towering elephants, has its place and purpose in the universe, a role in the delicate balance that sustains all life. To see a man stand, unarmed, before a king cobra and reach out not with fear, but with care, is to witness this balance at work. Life in its simplest forms is no less sacred than life in what we deem complex or worthy. We’re all woven into this world’s fabric, and every thread matters, no matter how thin or fierce or misunderstood it may seem.

We humans tend to forget this. In our need to control, to manage and protect ourselves, we often prioritise our existence over the lives of other beings. And yet, who are we to judge? Does our awareness, our intelligence, our achievements make us inherently more valuable? Watching those videos has left me questioning: aren’t we just one more form of life, walking on this earth, no more precious or deserving than the beings we encounter?

Perhaps there’s something sacred in every form of life – even the feared and dreaded cobra. Each life serves its part, playing out nature’s song, creating a balance that’s intricate, ancient, and incomprehensible in its entirety. A king cobra deserves our respect as much as any creature, not because it is harmless – it isn’t – but because it is. And that alone makes it part of the whole we should revere.

In my own life, this has begun to resonate as a philosophy, a guiding principle. Life, in all forms, should be respected, not just because it’s beautiful or familiar, but precisely because it is other, unknown to us, with a purpose we may not see. Fear shouldn’t lead to destruction; perhaps it’s meant to awaken understanding, a reminder of how each life, even those that frighten us, is bound up with our own.

To hold compassion, even for a snake, is to embrace this universal balance, to sense the profound humility that none of us is more valuable than the next. In these moments, as I reflect on the fate of that snake in the video, and on Parichad’s bravery each time she encounters one on our land, I realise that this respect for life, in all its forms, is a path I feel compelled to follow.

And so, despite the fear, despite the deep-set discomfort, I now strive to look at every creature – even the serpent – with reverence. Not just for its life, but for its right to live, to be respected, and to belong in this world as much as I do. The path is not easy, and my heart still races at the thought of a snake close by, but I hope, with time, to grow in compassion, to step away from fear and into a profound respect for all life that exists within this vast, interconnected web.

Each life serves its part, playing out nature’s song, creating a balance that’s intricate, ancient, and incomprehensible in its entirety