Rare sighting of six feet King Cobra at the height of 7000 feet high above sea level

BD Kasniyal/Ajay Ramola
GG News Bureau
Pithoragarh/Dehradun,7th June. Nature lovers in the Munsiyari forest range were baffled at the rare sighting of a 6 feet long King Cobra snake at the Gumsain region, some 7000 feet high from sea level.
“We have sighted some local snakes in this cold region but the sighting of King Cobra at the 7000 feet high area is surprising,” said Lovraj Pangti, Range officer of Munsiyari forest range.
According to Pithoragarh DFO, Dr Vinay Bhargava, the local geographical variant of King Cobra, is frequently seen in river valley surroundings of the Himalayan region, in Munsiyari and sometimes it has been spotted in Jauljibi, near river Gori in Lumti village and makes its nest on lower holes of a pine tree.
“As it is the breeding season of snakes, the cobra might have reached the height in search of a partner,” said the DFO.
According to the DFO, while the king Cobra found in the plains of India has a black and colour, the local Himalayan variant of king Cobra is grey coloured.
with white spots In another incident, the forest department officials recorded a rare sighting of a king cobra near the Girinagar area of Paonta Sahib in Himachal’s Sirmaur district. according to the officials, a local resident had spotted it and recorded a video of the snake near Girinagar. The officials are terming it as perhaps the first authentic record of king cobra in Himachal Pradesh.
The king cobra is considered the most potent among venomous snakes and it opens the new possibility in the extended habitat of the Cobra that is placed under Part II of Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act and has the highest protection.
The sighting of the Cobra has instilled fear among the villagers who are demanding procurement of anti-venom doses in the nearby hospitals that can help in curing the people of the accidental sting of the venomous King Cobra.