Climate Change: Ten poisonous snakes have been caught in the lush green valley of Nepal's capital Kathmandu during the last one and a half months, including 9 king cobras and one monocle cobra. These snakes are usually found in the hot and flat areas of the Terai region, but now they are moving towards the mountains. This change in Kathmandu, which is about 160 kilometers from Mount Everest, is not only dangerous but is also considered a serious warning of climate change.
According to the experts, the presence of these snakes might not be incidental as cobras have started adapting and making habitats in the environment. But why is this change happening? Experts have warned that this is a sign of growing climate change. The rise in the temperature might have forced these king cobras to a colder region. These climatic changes are starkly visible in the hilly and mountainous regions of Nepal.
Snakes had entered residential areas
Snakes do not normally live in cold mountain areas. According to the Kathmandu Post report, these king cobra snakes were caught from hilly areas like Gupaleshwar, Bhanjyang, Sokhol and Phulchowk. These snakes had entered houses, courtyards and residential areas. With the help of the Forest Department and the snake rescue team, they were caught and released in the nearby forests. Some villagers have also seen eggs and nests of snakes in the forests.
Effect of climate change is clearly visible
The effect of climate change is clearly visible in the hilly and mountainous regions of Nepal. The maximum temperature here is increasing more rapidly than the Terai region, at a rate of about 0.05 degrees Celsius per year. For this reason, those snakes, which were earlier found only in hot and flat areas, are now seen in the hills as well.
2,700 people die every year due to snake bites
Meanwhile, the Nepal government has set a target to reduce the deaths due to poisonous snake bites to half by 2030. In this direction, special treatment centers have also been set up in some hilly areas. According to the report, about 2,700 people die every year due to snake bites in the Terai region, a large number of them are women and children.
This information has also been published in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet. However, experts believe that this number may be much lower than the actual figures, as many cases are not reported.