Snake and Nepal

The name Nepal immediately evokes images of the Himalayas, trekking and mountaineering. However, about half of the roughly 30 million people of Nepal live on a narrow stretch of fertile plains and low rolling hills along the country’s southern border with India. Here, they share the land with protected areas like Chitwan National Park, world famous for its tigers, rhinos and elephants – and with some of Asia’s most dangerous snakes: various species of krait, cobra und Russell’s viper.

While tourists hardly ever see such reptiles, the risk for the rural population of Nepal is considerable – not only in the hot and humid lowlands, but increasingly in the hills, too. Actually snakes are really useful because they eat so many rats and mice. This way they help secure harvests and control rodent-borne diseases. On the other hand, snake bites are a painful reality in the lives of millions of farmers in Nepal and a big health problem.“