King Cobras Found Near Mt Everest, Here's Why Experts Are Worried

Experts have raised concerns after a total of 10 venomous snakes - nine king cobras and a Monocled cobra - were captured near Mount Everest in Nepal in a span of one and a half months, The Kathmandu Post reported. These snakes were rescued from four different locations - Gopaleshwor, Bhanjyang, Sokhol and Fulchowk areas - officials at the Dakshinkali Municipality confirmed to the news outlet. 

King Cobra is the world's longest venomous snake. Its venom is not the most potent among venomous snakes, but the amount it releases in a single bite is powerful enough to kill 20 people or an elephant.

Here's why their presence near Mount Everest is concerning

King cobras and Monocled cobras, both snakes, are mostly found in the Tarai regions in parts of southern Nepal and northern India. As the temperature continues to rise, they are now found nesting in hilly and mountainous areas as well.

"Those snakes were rescued from houses and compounds with the help of a snake rescuer and were released in the nearby forest. Locals have also found King Cobra eggs and nests in nearby jungles," Jaya Thapa Magar, chair of the municipality's ward 1, told The Kathmandu Post.

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The experts are worried as the presence of these snakes in colder regions could be because of climate change, with experts suggesting that rising temperatures might be driving these tropical snakes to higher altitudes. If this change continues, it will impact the region's ecosystem.

Subodh Acharya, a snake rescue trainer from Mithila Wildlife Trust, Janakpur, told the outlet, "These snakes might have come to the Valley with logs and hay in trucks, but have already made habitats here." 

The rescued venomous snakes have been released there, with Mr Acharya urging people to be vigilant while they are in the forests. 

Climate change in Nepal

In the past few years, Nepal has witnessed extreme weather events linked to climate change. The maximum temperature in Nepal is rising at a rate of 0.05 degrees Celsius per year. 

King cobras are listed as vulnerable in the National Red Data Book of Nepal and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. 

Habitat destruction, human conflict and snakebites are significant threats to king cobra populations. A report published in March 2022 in The Lancet, which is a leading international medical journal, highlighted that incidents of snakebite and resulting deaths are common in the Tarai districts during the summer. Each year, approximately 2,700 people, mostly children and women from Nepal's Tarai region, lose their lives because of snakebites.