Claim: The people of Chitral Drosh have slain a 15-foot dragon-like snake that had become a source of fear, as reported by local social media pages.
Fact: Dragon-like snakes are not found in Chitral as confirmed by the Wildlife Department. The image is likely fake.
On 1 September, a Facebook user shared an image of a slain snake, writing, “بالآخر چترال دروش والوں نے اژدھا سے چھٹکارا حاصل کرلیا۔ ذرائع کے مطابق دروش میں لوگوں کی نیندیں حرام کرنے والا اژدھا اپنے انجام کو پہنچ گیا۔ #بی_بی_سی_نیوز کے مطابق دروش میں پچھلے دنوں سے کوئی بھی سہی طرح سے سو نہیں پایا تھا۔اج لوگوں نے ملکر 15 فٹ لمبا اور 3 فٹ چوڑا اژدھے کو مار دیا۔ زیر نظر تصویر میں اژدھا کی لاش ملاحظہ فرمائیں۔ شکریہ.”
[Translated from Urdu: Eventually, the people of Chitral Drosh got rid of the dragon. According to sources, the dragon, which deprived people of sleep in Drosh, has reached its end. According to #BBC_News, no one had been able to sleep properly in Drosh since the past few days. Today, people together made it 15 feet tall. And killed the 3 feet wide dragon. See the body of the dragon in the picture below. Thanks.]
The image was subsequently shared on different social media platforms with the same claim including here on X, and here on Threads.
Snake species in Pakistan
Pakistan is home to both venomous and non-venomous snakes, spread across its diverse terrains. Particularly in Sindh, the Indian Python, a large, non-venomous species that can grow over 20 feet in length can be found. Russell’s Viper, one of the deadliest venomous snakes, is common in Sindh and Punjab. Common Kraits are found in the lower mountain ranges and are known for their highly potent venom. The Himalayan Pit Viper resides in the northern, mountainous regions of Pakistan, such as the Himalayas. Another dangerous snake, the Saw-scaled Viper, thrives in Balochistan and Makran’s coastal areas, producing a unique sound by rubbing its scales together. The Indian Cobra, widespread in the country, is known for its iconic hood and presence in rural areas.
According to research on the altitudinal distribution of snakes in Northern Pakistan, venomous species such as Gloydius himalayanus (Himalayan pit viper), Bungarus caeruleus (common krait), Naja oxiana (Caspian cobra), and Macrovipera lebetina are found in areas like Chitral, which falls within the Himalayan biogeographical region. These snakes are typically found at altitudes ranging from 1600 to 6000 metres, matching the geographical description of Chitral and surrounding areas like Hunza and Gilgit. The distribution of species across these altitudes correlates with varying ecological zones, with higher altitudes tending to host fewer species compared to lower, warmer zones.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check contacted Chitral’s District Forest Officer (DFO) for Wildlife, Farooq Nadeem, who informed us that 20-foot snakes are extremely rare in Pakistan. He clarified that Chitral is home to regular-sized snakes, which typically emerge during the summer. “If you look closely at the picture, you’ll see the snake has been cut from several places, but its head is held up. Normally, when killing a snake, you first target the head. This suggests the image is fake.”
A reverse search of the viral image led us to a Facebook post by KP’s former Forest Environment and Wildlife Department spokesman Latif-ur-Rehman.
The post reads: “*چترال میں “اژدھا” کی اصل حقیقیت*
چترال کے علاقے دروش میں اژدھا اقسام کے سانپ نہیں پائے جاتے، لطیف الرحمان ترجمان محکمہ موسمیاتی تبدیلی جنگلات ماحولیات و جنگلی حیات خیبرپختونخوا
چترال کے بالائی علاقوں میں بھی اژدھا نہیں پائے جاتے تو یہ گمان کرنا کہ سیلاب کے پانی میں بالائی علاقوں سے یہ سانپ دروش پہنچا ہوگا تو بھی یہ بات غلط ہے۔ ترجمان
چترال کے مقامی سانپ زیادہ سے زیادہ 5 فٹ سے زائد لمبے نہیں ہوتے ہیں، ترجمان
15 فٹ سے بڑے اژدھے کو مارنے کی خبر من گھڑت ہے، اور اس سے عوام میں خوف پھیلایا گیا، ترجمان
شروع میں اژدھے کا علاقے میں دیکھائی دینے کی افواہوں کو پھیلایا گیا اور اب جب پورا علاقہ خوف میں مبتلا تھا یہ خبر ایک تصویر کے ساتھ پھیلائی گئی کہ بڑے لمبائی والے اژدھے کو مقامی لوگوں نے مار دیا ہے، ترجمان
اژدھے پاکستان کے صوبہ سندھ کےعلاقوں میں زیادہ طور پائے جاتے ہیں، ترجمان
نوٹ: چترال میں اتنے بڑے سانپ کو مارنے کے بعد ایک ہی تصویر کو سوشل میڈیا پر ڈال کر وائرل کیا گیا جبکہ ایک بھی ویڈیو کلپ منظر عام پر نہیں لا سکے۔ اور آج کل سوشل میڈیا کا دور ہے جہاں عوام اپنے ویوز اور لائیکس کی خاطر کیا سے کیا ویڈیو بناتے رہتے ہیں اتنے بڑے سانپ کو مارنے یا مارنے کے بعد 10 سیکنڈ کی ویڈیو کلپ تک نہیں بنا سکے، تو میرے چترال کے عزیز دوستوں یہ سب من گھڑت کہانی ہے اور یہ کہ عوام بغیر کسی خوف کے اپنے کھیتوں وغیرہ میں کام کرتے رہیں کیونکہ اس اقسام کے سانپ پورے ریجن میں نہیں ہیں، شکریہ
لطیف الرحمان
ترجمان، محکمہ موسمیاتی تبدیلی، جنگلات، ماحولیات و جنگلی حیات، خیبر پختونخوا
پشاور، 2 ستمبر، 2024”
[Translated from Urdu: The Reality of the “Dragon” in Chitral
There are no dragon-like snakes found in the Darosh area of Chitral, according to Latif-ur-Rehman, spokesperson for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Department of Climate Change, Forests, Environment, and Wildlife. He clarified that even in the upper regions of Chitral, such snakes are not found. The assumption that this snake may have arrived in Darosh from the upper areas via floodwaters is also incorrect.
The local snakes in Chitral do not exceed 5 feet in length, the spokesperson explained. The news of a 15-foot-long dragon being killed is fabricated and has unnecessarily spread fear among the public. Initially, rumours of the dragon’s appearance in the area were spread, and once the whole region was gripped with fear, the news, along with a picture, claimed that local people had killed the large snake.
The spokesperson added that such large snakes are typically found in the Sindh province of Pakistan. He also noted that, after killing such a large snake, only a single picture was shared on social media, without any video clips, despite the fact that in today’s age of social media, people often make videos for views and likes. Yet, there wasn’t even a 10-second video of the snake being killed or its aftermath. Therefore, my dear friends in Chitral, this is a fabricated story, and people should continue working in their fields without any fear, as such snakes are not present in the entire region. Thank you.
Latif-ur-Rehman
Spokesperson, Department of Climate Change, Forests, Environment, and Wildlife, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Peshawar, 2nd September 2024]
Besides the viral image, the post includes an image of a table that provides information about the altitudinal distribution of venomous snakes in Pakistan, specifically in regions such as Hunza, Gilgit, Swat, Dir, Chitral, and Alpine Punjab. According to the table, Chitral is listed as part of the geographical limits within the Himalayan biogeographical region (altitudes of 1600–6000 meters), where venomous snakes like Gloydius himalayanus, Bungarus caeruleus, Macrovipera lebetina, and Naja oxiana are found.
The post also includes an image detailing that the Indian python is a large non-venomous snake that can grow up to more than 20 feet. According to the source in the image, in Pakistan, the python is primarily found in southern Sindh, particularly in the Sanghar District. The Indian python prefers habitats like jungles, riversides, lakes, and vegetation near water bodies. The source adds that it is not venomous and kills its prey by constriction, a common method for non-venomous large snakes.
In addition, the post has an image that lists the “Big 4” venomous snakes in Pakistan. These are the most dangerous and commonly encountered venomous snakes in the country: Cobras – Specifically, Naja naja and Naja oxiana; Common Kraits – Bungarus caeruleus; Russell’s Vipers – Daboia russelii; Saw-scaled Vipers – Echis carinatus.
The caption, a statement from the spokesperson of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife Department, along with the images from different sources, clarifies that Chitral does not have dragon-like snakes as claimed. However, the area does have certain venomous snake species, as indicated in the table. Additionally, large snakes like the Indian python are restricted to specific regions and are not typically found in mountainous areas like Chitral.
Furthermore, Faisal Salahuddin, Prince of Chitral and the owner of Nagar Fort in Drosh, confirmed after examining the claim that no such event had occurred and the image appeared to be fake. We also reached out to a climate researcher and a visiting lecturer at Degree College Chitral who said he was unaware of any such incident.
While Soch Fact Check could not independently verify the origin of the picture, local accounts indicate that no such incident occurred in either Chitral and that the image is likely fake.
Virality
The claim has been shared here, here, here, and here on Facebook.
On X it was shared here and here.
It was also shared on Instagram here and here.
On Threads, it was shared here.
Conclusion: The claim that a 15-foot dragon-like snake was slain in Chitral’s Drosh is false. The DFO and residents confirmed that such snakes are not found in the region, and the image was likely manipulated to spread false information.
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Background image in cover photo: iflscience.com
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