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.