Sunday, 01 SEPTEMBER 2024 | AFZAL FAUJI | NAINITAL
Nainital district has become a favoured habitat of the king cobra in Uttarakhand. The population of the National Reptile of India is reported to be thriving in various parts of this district, due to which its sightings in Nainital are the highest in the State. This was revealed in a recent survey report of the Forest department. The rising temperatures are also believed to be a factor which has positively impacted the presence of the world’s longest venomous snake in this region. This reptile is the rain forest areas of the Western and Eastern Ghats, north eastern States and some areas of Sunderban and Andaman. Apart from these regions, it is also found in some parts of Uttarakhand. Its sightings have increased noticeably in Nainital district in recent years. A report prepared by the research wing of the Uttarakhand Forest department states that Nainital district probably has the highest sightings of the king cobra outside its traditional rainforest habitat. It was first sighted in the State in the Bhawali range of Nainital in 2006. The nest of this snake was then sighted at an altitude of 2,303 metres at Mukteshwar in 2012 which was considered a new record of it being found at such an altitude. Research fellow Jyoti Prakash, who prepared this report, states that evidence of the king cobra has been found in five districts of Uttarakhand. This reptile was sighted a total of 132 times in the State between 2015 and 2020 out of which, its presence was recorded 83 times in Nainital district. Similarly, it was sighted 32 times in Dehradun district, 12 times in Pauri district, thrice in Uttarkashi district and twice in Haridwar district.
Forest department snakecatcher Nimish Danu states that rising temperature is one of the main reasons for high sightings of the king cobra in Nainital. He said that the ectothermic or cold-blooded reptile uses dry pine needles and oak leaves to prepare its nest and these leaves give out warmth. Nests of this reptile have been found on many occasions in the oak forests in and around Nainital. So far, he has had the chance to rescue an 18-feet long king cobra in Nainital, added Danu.
