“The snake we found was a king cobra. King cobra is a rare species,” said Prof Karan Bahadur Shah, wildlife expert at the Natural History Museum. Shah was one of the experts who identified the poisonous snake.[break]
King cobra is one of the most venomous snakes in the world. It can grow longer than 18 feet. It is found in temperate forests with high rainfall and thick vegetation. It is listed in the Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) which prohibits the trade of such species.
“Though highly venomous, king cobras do not usually attack people. They keep distance from human settlements and avoid confrontation with human beings,” said Manoj Gautam of Roots and Shoots.
Moreover, king cobras feed on other snakes including venomous ones.
Courtesy: Ramesh Gautam
“The snake found in Maharjan´s home had been regurgitating a pit viper which it had swallowed earlier. Pit vipers are the most feared snakes in Kathmandu valley,” Gautam added.
According to Shah, it is the first live king cobra found in the valley.
“The cobra was released into a nearby community forest,” said Santosh Khatiwada, another member of Roots and Shoots.
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