Lightning strikes make collecting a fungus for traditional Chinese medicine a deadly pursuit Premium

The Ophiocordyceps sinensis – colloquially called caterpillar fungus or “Himalayan gold” – it can fetch astronomical prices on the herbal medicine market: up to US$63,000 per pound.

In the remote Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, a rare fungus grows inside dead caterpillars. In traditional Chinese medicine, this parasitic fungus is prized for its purported medicinal effects. Known as Ophiocordyceps sinensis – colloquially, caterpillar fungus or “Himalayan gold” – it can fetch astronomical prices on the herbal medicine market: up to US$63,000 per pound.

Ophiocordyceps sinensis fungus is a parasite that targets the caterpillar that is the larva of the ghost moth. The process begins in late summer to early fall, when fungal spores infect the caterpillars. Over time, fungal filaments called mycelia slowly spread out and consume the caterpillars from within, turning them into hardened, mummified shells by winter. When spring arrives, the fungus enters its final stage: A grasslike fruiting body sprouts from the preserved caterpillar’s head and pushes up through the soil.

While many traditional Chinese/herbal medicine consumers are drawn to the fungus for its supposed health benefits, my interest lies in a darker side of its harvest: the deadly relationship between caterpillar fungus collection and lightning strikes. As a meteorologist, I study lightning and its impacts around the world. A few factors come together to make the situation on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau so dangerous.

People hunt for this fungus during late spring and summer, exactly when lightning strikes are most common in these mountains. Villagers often spend weeks scouring the rugged mountains for this precious resource, sometimes up to 16,400 feet (5 kilometers) above sea level. That’s an altitude of more than 3 miles.

At these heights, the weather can change in an instant, and there’s nowhere safe to hide from storms. While this area doesn’t get as many lightning strikes as some parts of Asia, it’s still dangerous enough to be a serious threat during these crucial harvesting months.

Tragically, caterpillar fungus hunting has led to at least 31 lightning-related deaths and another 58 lightning-related injuries in the past decade, according to the yearbooks of Chinese meteorological hazards (中国气象灾害年鉴) and government websites, including the China Meteorological Administration and the National Disaster Reduction Center of China.

In May 2022, seven villagers from China, including a young child, were killed by lightning while harvesting the fungus. The following year, three people from Nepal were injured by lightning when collecting the fungus and had to be rescued by helicopter after spending days stranded in the mountains.