By Jheruleene Anne Ramos
Authorities have discovered 10 venomous snakes in the Mount Everest region in just one and a half months, raising alarm among scientists over the potential link to the worsening climate crisis.
Officials from Dakshinkali Municipality confirmed that nine king cobras and one monocled cobra were found and rescued from four areas near Everest – Gopaleshwor, Bhanjayang, Sokhol, and Fulchowk – the Hindustan Times reported.
The king cobra, the world’s longest venomous snake, typically inhabits dense highland forests in India, the Philippines, and Southeast Asia, while the monocled cobra is commonly found across South Asia.
“Those snakes were rescued from houses and compounds with the help of a snake rescuer and were released in the nearby forest,” Jaya Thapa Magar, a municipality officer, told The Kathmandu Post.
He added that residents discovered king cobra eggs and nests in nearby jungles, signalling a wider ecological shift.
Scientists warn of climate change effects
Nepali scientists attributed the phenomenon to climate change, which they say is forcing snakes to not only move into hilly and mountainous areas but also to adapt and settle there permanently.
Studies show that temperatures in Nepal’s hills and mountains are rising by about 0.05 degrees Celsius annually – higher than the national average minimum rise of 0.03C – creating a more hospitable environment for tropical species like cobras.
Scientists warn that this ecological shift could pose new risks to both humans and wildlife by destabilising the region’s fragile ecosystem and increasing Nepal’s vulnerability to climate-related impacts.
However, Subodh Acharya, a snake rescue trainer from Mithila Wildlife Trust in Janakpur, said that these snakes may have been “unintentionally” transported from low-lying areas to higher altitudes through wood or haystacks on trucks.
“These snakes might have come to the Valley with logs and hay in trucks but have already made habitats here,” he said.
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Authorities urge caution amid snakebite fears
In light of these discoveries, Acharya urged the public to remain vigilant while they are in forests to avoid snakebite cases.
Snake bites are common in Tarai districts in southern Nepal during the summer season, with approximately 2,700 deaths, mostly children and women, reported annually, according to The Lancet, a leading international medical journal.
Most of these fatalities occur in villages (40 per cent), during transport to healthcare facilities (40 per cent), and in hospitals (20 per cent).
Despite this, data from the Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP) reports only about 1,000 snakebite-related hospital admissions each year, suggesting that many cases go unreported.
Experts also say deep-rooted cultural beliefs contribute to the high death toll, as many victims initially turn to traditional healers, snake charmers, or shamans rather than seeking urgent medical treatment.
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Calls to strengthen public awareness, health response
Public health experts and herpetologists are urging the government to raise public awareness and encourage communities to bring snakebite victims to medical centres promptly.
They also called on the MOHP to intensify training for rural health workers in order to meet Nepal’s national target of reducing snakebite-related deaths and disabilities by 50 per cent by 2030.
Additionally, experts stressed the need to improve healthcare infrastructure in remote areas, citing a lack of doctors, ventilator support, and antivenom supplies as major contributors to the country’s high snakebite mortality rate.
With these steps, experts remain hopeful that the country can better respond to the emerging threat of venomous snakes in the Himalayas and reduce preventable deaths.
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Geoffrey H. Latayan 
Vivien Bernardino