Rare species of poisonous snakes are on verge of extinction from forests as they become a prey to smugglers who trade in the snakes for poison.
With the advancement of medical science, snake poison is on demand for medicines used for the treatment of various illnesses and as intoxicating substance resulting in its soaring price. This has attracted the snake charmers into the trade.
The recent seizures of poisonous snakes from Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts are just pointers to the fact. Officials have arrested over two dozen persons and seized several snakes from their possession in the last two years.
The cases have been reported from the hillside areas of Soro, Oupada, Kaptipada, Udala, Karanjia, Rairangpur and Jashipur. Significantly, Branded Krait, locally known as ‘Rana’ and Cobra are the most sought after reptiles.
Sources said in some cases the price of one Branded Krait ranged from Rs 10,000 to Rs 2 lakh depending on the size and age of species. Price of 1 kg of snake poison in medicine-producing countries is about $ 20 million while each gram of snake poison is used in the making of at least 100 kg of medicine.
While Regional Chief Conservator of Forests (RCCF) Anup Nayak said the forest officials conducted raids and arrested people involved in trading of snakes whenever they got information, smuggling of rare and poisonous snakes in the region have left the wildlife lovers worried.
Honorary wildlife warden Vanoo Mitra Acharya said the increase in the global demand for snake poison and the unrestrained hunting of the creature has put the rare species on verge of extinction. He stressed that their extinction would cause harm to the ecosystem as without snakes the number of rats and other species harmful to the environment would increase.
Wildlife activists alleged the raids conducted by the Forest Department were just the tip of the iceberg as many gangs dealing in snake smuggling are operating across the State. They said besides the medicines the snake poison is used to prepare intoxicating substances. The venom is used for intoxication particularly in rave parties in the metros where it is sold as per code names.
As per the Wildlife Protection Act, it is illegal to keep snakes without licence. But the provisions of the Act are being blatantly violated at several places across the State.
Barring a few which manufacture life saving anti-venom, nobody in the State has licence to extract snake venom or process it.