The unexpected discovery of ten cobras close to Kathmandu less than 160 km from Mount Everest has upset both local people and scientists. Usually seen in the tropics, these deadly snakes have been found in locations of the Kathmandu Valley that are much colder and higher. Confirmed sightings in the same place over the past month show a significant change in where native snakes live and warn people about bigger environmental issues in that region.
/*Which snakes were found?*/
During six weeks, wildlife rescuers managed to capture both king cobras and one monocled cobra at various spots in the Kathmandu Valley. The recovery activity has taken place in zones labelled as Bhanjyang, Gupteshwar (Gopaleshwor), Sokhol, and Fulchowken. There were many cases when snakes entered homes, compounds, and courtyards, which led to emergency rescues and their transfer to forest reserves.
/*Why now? Climate change and human activity*/
Specialists believe there are just two main reasons for this migration. Firstly, the rising temperature in Nepal’s hill and mountain regions (rising by 0.05 °C each year) has created an area more suitable for tropical snakes because the climate is changing more rapidly here than in the rest of the planet . Second, these reptiles may end up in new places when they hitch a ride on trucks carrying logs, hay, or agricultural products from Nepal’s Terai region. Both reasons probably helped explain why they were in places that are so high.
/*Evidence of possible local breeding*/
The situation is made worse by the uncovering of king cobra nests and eggs deep within mountain areas; it points to the reptiles starting to make their way and reproduce outside areas where they have traditionally lived. So, it’s possible that their numbers are beginning to increase and they are starting to grow as populations. No one has observed an adaptation to this kind of climate, which usually does not get below freezing, in Himalayan foothills in Nepal.
/*Health and safety implications*/
Many people in Nepal, especially in its Terai region, are affected by snakebite, with about 2,700 death cases reported each year and most of them being women and children . Snakes found in Kathmandu Valley increase the chances of people interacting with venomous snakes. Therefore, the government has supplied antivenom, opened more snakebite treatment centers in hilly regions, and created many campaigns to show people how to prevent snakebite and first aid.