THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The forest department is currently fielding a surge in distress calls, receiving nearly 3,000 reports of snake sightings per month. This spike is being driven not by seasoned adult snakes, but by a seasonal influx of hatchlings.
Cobra neonates are being spotted with alarming frequency across the state; unlike mature snakes that instinctively avoid human contact, these inexperienced young ones venture out boldly in search of food and shelter.
Born in large numbers following the October-December mating season — with a single clutch sometimes producing up to 30 offspring — these venomous hatchlings are increasingly crossing paths with people. This rising trend recently turned tragic, claiming the life of an eight-year-old boy bitten by a nocturnal krait while asleep in Thrissur and an elderly woman watering plants in Thiruvananthapuram. As the state aims to bring snakebite fatalities to zero, these April deaths serve as a somber wake-up call.
Assistant Conservator of Forests and State Nodal Officer (Sarpa) Y Muhammad Anwar said the department is managing a heavy volume of rescue operations each month.
“While we get thousands of calls, not all are precise... people often report seeing a snake but are unable to locate it later. Even so, we are rescuing over 2,000 snakes monthly, and sometimes more,” he said, citing a recent instance in Wayanad where 26 cobra hatchlings were found together.
He noted that while bite chances are usually high during the October-December mating season, this year’s unusual weather has intensified the problem.
“In peak summer, stress levels of animals are high. For cold-blooded animals like snakes, it is difficult to regulate body temperature. They usually hide in burrows and move out only for preying. But now they cannot stay in burrows due to the rising temperature. More human encounters mean more sightings,” Anwar pointed out.
The officer said that hatchlings are particularly dangerous, and highly venomous, even if the quantity of venom is less. “Neonates do not get parental care. Hatchlings look for safe hideouts and places where they can prey. So their movement is high, and they end up in homes. It is important to seal hideouts and entry points — clear shrubs, close gaps between floor and door, block outlet pipes of washrooms, check shoes and ornamental plants connected to windows. Even cats can bring small snakes inside homes,” he said.
Muhammad said that Kerala records between 3,500 and 45,000 snakebite cases every year, with around 30% caused by venomous species. Cobra bites alone account for nearly a third of the cases, followed by Russell’s viper and hump-nosed pit viper. Kraits, though nocturnal and less frequently encountered, remain deadly.
Kerala is home to over 120 snake species, fewer than 10 of which are fatally venomous. Despite a decline in fatalities, with snakebite deaths dropping from 123 in 2018-19 to just two so far in 2026-27, the state continues to treat snakebite as a major public health issue. Snakebite deaths are officially recognised as a state-specific disaster under the “human-wildlife conflict” category, with families of victims eligible for compensation up to `4 lakh through the State Disaster Response Fund.