NP - Nepalese poisonous snakes in high deman

[Guest guest]

*After India banned the trade in snakes some snake charmers have crossed

the border into Nepal to catch snakes overhere. It's a sad development and

no one seems interested in trying to stop it. Nepal needs a project like the

Irula Cooperative that hunts poisonous snakes, rempoves the venom and

release the snakes back in the wild. It's humane, promotes conservation and

provides much needed income to tribal communities.*

 

*Snakes on high demand*

Xinhua

 

http://thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Snakes+on+high+demand+ & id=MzM\

2MA== & catid=Nw

==

 

KATHMANDU: Lured by high price for snake poison in the international market,

smuggling of poisonous snakes by Indian snake charmers is on the rise in

eastern Nepal, Nepali news agency RSS reported today.

Dozens of snake charmers from various Indian cities have descended into

Jhapa district, some 320 km southeast of the capital Kathmandu, to catch

poisonous snakes and sell poison in the global market.

Taking advantage of the summer season, the time when snakes come out of

their holes, snake charmers play flutes to catch them.

Much to the dismay of locals, the local administration has not initiated any

effort to stop the smuggling of snakes, an illegal practice according to

laws, the report said. A local of Dangibari-6 in Jhapa, Suresh Shivakoti,

said Indian snake charmers have been illegally taking Nepali snakes to India

to sell its poison.

“It seems that the concerned authorities have been allowing them to do so.

Now, it’’s high time the Indian snake charmers are brought to justice,” the

report quoted Shivakoti as saying.

--

Lucia de Vries

Freelance Journalist

Bagdol, Patan, Nepal

Wijk 4-47, 8321 GE Urk, Holland