KOCHI: The very sight of a snake will send a chill down the spine of any person. However, for animal and nature lover Vidya Raju snakes are nothing but a fascinating creation of God. A native of Bihar, Vidya came to Kochi seven years ago, with her husband Raju, a Navy commodore who retired four years ago. and has been rescuing snakes since then. Even though she has gained fame as a snake catcher in and around Kochi, Vidya became an internet sensation when a video of her catching a 20 kg python from the premises of the naval officers' apartment complex went viral.
"I was contacted by the officers and told about the python that had curled up underneath a coconut tree along the compound wall of the apartment complex Tarangini," said Vidya. According to her, she received the call at around 8 am. "I told the naval officer who contacted me to keep a watch on the snake from a distance," she said.
"The snake was really big," said Vidya. "It was tough grappling it into the bag and if not for the help of the people of the building I wouldn't have managed it," she added. According to her, the snake might have weighed around 20 kg and had not gobbled up anything.
After bagging the snake, Vidya contacted the Forest Department and handed over the python to them. "This is how I work," said Vidya, who has an innate ability when it comes to catching snakes. "I have not undergone any training. But have read a lot about the behaviour of snakes," she said.
According to Vidya, earlier when her husband was in Navy, she used to get a lot of calls from the Naval Base. "But today, I get calls not only from the Naval Base but also the general public. I have even travelled to the city outskirts to catch snakes," she said.
Most of the snakes that Vidya has rescued are non-venomous. "Once a while I do catch venomous snakes. The most common ones that I get are anali (Viper)," she said. "I release the non-venomous snakes out in the shrubbery. People need to learn to live along with these creatures," she added. According to her, she has caught more than 1,000 snakes. "Actually, I have lost count," she said.