In conversation with a snake rescuer
A country as populated as India is bound to experience some Human-Animal conflict. In the small town of Mysore, Karnataka many years ago, a man saw a little girl crying. There was a cobra. That’s when Shyam (or Snakes Shyam) rescued his first snake. Three decades later, SnakesShyam is known all over the country for rescuing well over 50,000 snakes, mostly in Mysore. His son, Surya, now following his fathers’ footsteps, a conservationist, a naturalist ready at a moment’s notice to rescue snakes from people’s kitchens, bedrooms, water tanks, basically anywhere. “It is not snakes that enter into our homes, humans have captured their habitat,” says Surya. Snakes were killed at sight about a decade earlier. But now, It is because of people like Surya who are trying to change that by educating and bringing awareness to people. Now, people call in a professional when they see a snake and don’t kill the animal. Surya rescues about 7 snakes per day on an average. What is your earlie...