Save The King: Human-King Cobra, Ophiophagus hannah (Cantor 1836), conflicts and the need for conservation strategies in Nepal

Abstract

Abstract.—Snake research tends to have a low priority in Nepal and very little information, mostly confined to populationsin small areas, addresses the biology and threats to the King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah). Herein we providedata that could facilitate an assessment of the species’ status in Nepal and begin to address its conservation needs.We recorded data on King Cobras from 2015–2020, crosschecking with previous studies to avoid any duplicationof records. A King Cobra from Siddhara, Arghakhachi District, was the first record of the species in the district. Werecorded a total of 50 King Cobra mortalities from 20 districts, with most of them killed near human settlementsadjacent to forested areas. We mapped the locations of all mortalities and recorded land-use changes within a 500-mbuffer around each site over a 30-year period (1990–2020), revealing extensive landscape fragmentation in previouslyconnected natural areas. Our data suggest that the major threats to King Cobras are deliberate killing by humans andlarge-scale habitat loss due to an increasing human population. We recommend increased research to better understandthe biology of this charismatic species and continued conservation education and community outreach programs tofacilitate the development of effective conservation strategies.

First photographic evidence of the King Cobra, Ophiophagus Hannah (Cantor 1836), from Bardia National Park, Nepal

“…It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species because populations are thought to be declining throughout the species' range (Stuart et al 2012), and is included in CITES Appendix II (CITES 2023). Ophiophagus hannah was first reported in Nepal in 1974 in the Rautahat District (Fleming and Fleming 1974) and has been recorded in 42 districts since then (Devkota et al 2021). In Nepal, O. hannah is a protected species and is declared Vulnerable by the National Red Data Book (Thapa et al 2019).…”

“…In Nepal, O. hannah is a protected species and is declared Vulnerable by the National Red Data Book (Thapa et al 2019). Intentional human killing, increasing human population, and habitat fragmentation due to land use change are major threats to O. hannah in Nepal (Devkota et al 2021) Female King Cobras are the only snakes known to build nests for their eggs (O' Shea 2018). Ophiophagus hannah generally makes its nests in areas with an average leaf litter height of 10-17 cm, such as along the edges of forests, mangrove swamps, pristine rainforests, plantations, agricultural fields, and open scrublands in proximity to water (Rao et al 2013).…”