12-Foot King Cobra Rescued in Rupandehi

For the first time, a King Cobra (Raj Goman), which is usually found in hilly areas, has been found in the Terai region of Rupandehi.

The snake was discovered at the house of Lemkumari Ranamagar in Charange, Devdaha Municipality 10.

When the Rana family saw a very long and big snake they had never seen before, they called snake rescuer Bishal Pandey. According to him, the King Cobra found in Charange was 12 feet 3 inches long and weighed 7.2 kilograms.

Under the leadership of Bishal Pandey, the Butwal Snake Rescue Team including Nabin Paudel, Sagar Pandey, and Bishwas Pandey caught the snake after working for three hours.

After rescuing the King Cobra, it was handed over to the Division Forest Office. It was later released safely into a dense forest area of the district, said ward chairperson Ekbahadur Sunar of Devdaha 10.

The King Cobra is considered very rare in Nepal. In recent years, it has been seen occasionally in the mid-hill regions, so experts are now discussing the need for its conservation.

Although it is a very venomous snake, experts say there are no reports of it biting humans in Nepal. Out of the 82 species of snakes found in Nepal, the number of King Cobras is extremely low. It survives by eating other snakes, explained rescuer Nabin Paudel.

Fourteen years ago, a dead King Cobra was found in Phulbari, Butwal.

This year, the team of Bishal Pandey has rescued and safely released more than 400 venomous snakes from Tilottama, Rupandehi. This includes 23 Common Cobras and 6 Russell’s Vipers.