King cobra sighted in Paonta Sahib

Solan, June 5

Forest Department officials have reported the sighting of a king cobra near the Girinagar area of Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur district.

Kunal Angrish, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Paonta Sahib, today said, “A local resident had taken pictures and made a video of a snake near Girinagar during morning hours a few days ago. He was unaware that the snake is a king cobra. As the pictures reached experts, the identity of the snake was determined”.

“This is perhaps the first authentic record of king cobra in Himachal Pradesh, whose previous range seems to end in Uttarakhand in north India,” added Angrish.

A team of forest officials led by Angrish had visited the area where the reptile was sighted and observed its immediate habitat. The officials also verified the pictures and the video as that of king cobra, which is considered the most potent among venomous snakes.

“This opens a new possibility in expanding the notified habitats of the king of snakes, which is placed under Part II of Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act and has the highest protection,” said the DFO. — TNS