THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A lawyer by profession, Jayadevan J entertains two types of phone callers: Those who get in touch with him for legal advice and those who have sighted a snake and want it rescued. The first section forms his bread and butter, but Jayadevan pays equal attention to the second group as he is one of the 2,400 snake rescuers in the state trained and certified by the forest department.
Since 2020, the department has been training those interested in rescuing snakes under the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which bars such activity by unauthorised persons. The initiative followed several untoward incidents during rescues by untrained persons.
In the past four years, the department has trained over 4,000 people. Of these, those exhibiting extreme proficiency were deemed as certified rescuers.
Among the 2,400-odd certified rescuers are more than 200 women, who regularly conduct rescue operations. As volunteers, these men and women stand out in their passion for handling snakes.
“Snakes have fascinated me from childhood,” says Jayadevan. While studying kathakali at Kerala Kalamandalam, he was suspended from the hostel for rearing a snake. Most of the volunteers have similar interesting anecdotes.
According to Y Mohammed Anwar, assistant conservator of forests and state nodal officer of the Sarpa (Snake Awareness Rescue and Protection) app, people from diverse backgrounds are opting for the training and enhanced public participation has increased the extent of rescue operations.
Saving slithering souls
Number of snakes captured, over the years, across the state by rescuers trained by forest department
A lot of takers for forest dept’s training programme
“We have had trainees from all walks of life, including medical college professors, lawyers, entrepreneurs and even housewives. There are a lot of takers for our training programme and that has impacted the way rescue operations are carried out,” Anwar said.
The efficacy of the initiative can be gauged from the fact that the number of snakes rescued in 2023 rose to 8,980, a twofold increase from 4,453 in 2021.
The training covers lessons on ecology of snakes, their behaviour, identification marks, bite characteristics, dos and don’ts while handling, besides theoretical sessions.
