Amid an intense summer, Kerala is witnessing a spike in snakebite deaths – seven within the past two weeks – which has spread panic among the people. TNIE speaks to Y Mohammed Anwar, deputy forest conservator and state nodal officer of the Snake Awareness, Rescue, and Protection App (SARPA) about the reasons behind the rise. A qualified mechanical engineer, Anwar joined the forest department in 2005 and has been involved in snake rescue for the past two decades.
After introducing SARPA, he has trained snake rescuers across the state over the past six years. His efforts have helped reduce snakebite deaths from 123 in 2018-19 to 18 in 2025-26. Excerpts
There has been a spike in snakebite cases across Kerala. What’s the reason?
The current fear is largely triggered by the sighting of small snakes. Only 18 people died of snakebites in Kerala in 2025-26, while 362 people died of rat fever. There are rat species that can produce up to 20 lakh offspring in three years. The consequences will be severe if we remove biological agents like snakes that control rat population. It is the breeding season of venomous species like cobra, common krait and Russell’s viper. By May, they will disappear from sight. Snakes avoid confrontation and come out only in search of water and food or due to extreme heat. The solution is not to kill every snake we encounter. We must learn healthy coexistence.
Does that mean there’s no overpopulation of snakes in the state?
These snakes were always around us. We are spotting them now for specific reasons. Small snakes are visible because it is the breeding season. In the case of adult snakes, scorching heat, high humidity, and scarcity of water or prey are driving them closer to human spaces.
Though the summer of 2024 was harsh, there weren’t many snakebite cases...
People panic when they spot snakes inside houses. Many believed that snakes wouldn’t enter houses with smooth flooring. That’s a misconception. Snakes can climb up rough walls. We need better awareness. More scientific studies are required to prove the impact of climate-related stress.
How can we remain safe?
First, prevent snakes from entering your home. There are different types of entry points. Open doors are the most obvious. Windows located four feet above ground-level carry a lower risk. A six-foot cobra cannot reach a window that high. However, slanted logs, climbing vines or pipes connected to windows can serve as entry routes. Some species can climb through the corners of walls. It can also use pipes, wiring, or rough window frames to climb. The house in Thrissur’s Kodali, where a child died of snakebite, had several ornamental climbing plants. Creepers like bougainvillea and passion fruit can become entry routes if they are connected to windows, exhaust fans, internet cables, or service wires. Hideouts and food attract snakes. Eliminating the food source breaks the chain. Schools should identify all possible entry points, seal them, and clear potential hideouts. Small snakes can hide inside children’s shoes.
Is it true that garlic can repel snakes?
This is a popular misconception. Snakes have a poor sense of smell. The nose is used only for breathing. Frequent tongue-flicking helps them detect the presence of prey, mates, or enemies by capturing molecules in the atmosphere.
What’s the most effective way to repel snakes?
The best approach is to avoid creating an environment that attracts them. Remove all possible hideouts from your surroundings. Even inside the home, ensure you do not create hiding spots such as heaps of clothes. Even the presence of lizards can attract snakes.
What should people do if they get caught in front of a snake?
First and foremost, do not approach the snake. The response depends on the species. Cobras typically do not react if there is no movement and will try to move away. Vipers, however, can detect presence even without visible movement. So, it is best to quietly move away from the area. Snakes do not chase humans to attack. If you see a hatchling, the mother may be around. We have seen cases, such as in Kodali, where five hatchlings were found together. If you don’t have proper equipment or are untrained in handling them, the risk of being bitten remains high. It’s a dangerous myth that hatchlings aren’t venomous. Observe the snake from a safe distance and report the sighting through the SARPA app. You can also inform the local snake rescuers directly.
What about service accessibility in remote areas?
Most of the remote areas are located near forest fringes and will have the support of forest officials or rapid response teams (RRT). In urban areas, there are volunteers. Our plan is to have at least one volunteer in every panchayat. Currently, we have more than 3,600 volunteers.
Where do you release the rescued snakes?
We release non-venomous snakes, such as rat snakes, in desolate locations like farmlands or plantations. They have significant importance in maintaining ecological balance. We release large non-venomous snakes, like pythons, and venomous snakes deep inside the forest.
What to do in case of a snakebite?
There is no first aid for snakebite. In the event of a bite, remember the RIGHT protocol: Reassure, Immobilise, Go to the Hospital, and Talk to the doctor. The victim should remain calm. There have been cases where individuals died of heart failure because of fear. It is crucial to minimise muscle movement. While a trained person can wrap a bandage around the wound, it isn’t mandatory if you are unsure how to do it correctly. Go immediately to a hospital where antivenom is available. A list of such hospitals is available on the SARPA and Snakepedia apps. Call to ensure they have antivenom in stock and a doctor on duty. The victim should get medical support within an hour, called the golden hour.
How to identify a snakebite... is it painful?
A snakebite may not always be painful. The Indian krait, for example, has very small teeth, and its bites are often painless. In some cases, you may not even be able to spot bite marks. The victim can express symptoms. Dizziness is a symptom of neurotoxicity from a krait bite, which doctors can quickly identify.
Can we identify the snake through symptoms?
Symptoms are categorised into two types: neurotoxic and haemotoxic. Snakes with neurotoxic venom, such as kraits, king cobras, and black mambas, possess toxins that attack the nervous system, leading to paralysis and respiratory failure. A krait bite specifically causes ptosis, characterised by heavy, drooping eyelids, along with dizziness, vomiting, stomach aches, and a sensation of paralysis. Bites from haemotoxic snakes, such as vipers, disrupt blood clotting and affect the circulatory system. In these cases, a 20-minute whole blood clotting test is performed to detect systemic envenomation. Symptoms may include bleeding from the mouth, nose, skin pores, or through urine.
Do we have to confirm the snake species for treatment?
One reason we rush to the doctor after identifying the snake is that India has only one available antivenom. The monovalent venom, which is specific to a species, is not available in India. The polyvalent antivenom, which is effective against multiple species, is used in our country. But it is for the big four venomous snakes. The spectacled cobra and the common krait have neurotoxic venom while the Russel’s viper and the saw-scaled viper have haemotoxic venom. Actually, antivenom is not available for the hump-nosed pit viper and king cobra. They account for one-fourth of the snakebite cases in Kerala. However, the bite is generally not fatal for a healthy adult.
Which are the most aggressive snakes?
The Russel’s viper is aggressive. While the cobra gives a warning, the viper attacks suddenly. Its reaction is faster than the cobra.
Why does a snake bite a human?
That is its defensive mechanism. For instance, the viper is attracted to anything warm when the environment is cold.
Are all snakebites reactive?
In fact, all snakebites are accidental. It is a misconception that venom is usually used for self-defence. During mating season, snakes become aggressive, increasing the chances of a snakebite. In fact, venom is mostly used for predation. Venom is a modified form of saliva, composed mostly of digestive enzymes. There are no poisonous snakes in Kerala. The redneck keelback found in Assam is a poisonous snake.
You said there’s no antivenom for viper bite. What’s the treatment?
Polyvalent antivenom is very effective for Russel’s viper. A viper bite affects the circulatory system. Unfortunately, we do not continuously monitor patients after administering antivenom. In the meantime, the organs may be affected.
Why is there a sudden surge in snakebite cases involving krait in Kerala?
There’s a species of non-venomous snake called ‘vellivarayan’ which enters houses to prey on lizards. The krait or ‘vellikettan’ is similar to this snake. ‘Vellivarayan’ is a preferred prey of krait and they enter houses chasing the former. People going to open wells at night should be careful. The presence of water attracts frogs and lizards. Snakes get attracted to such wells due to the presence of prey.
How do snakes enter houses with smooth flooring?
Small gaps, structural joints, drainage outlets, and corners can act as entry points and hideouts for snakes. Once inside, if the house offers prey such as lizards, along with safe and undisturbed hiding spaces, snakes can remain there unnoticed for several days.
There’s a perception that urbanisation has reduced snake population...
We receive a significant number of snake rescue calls from urban and semi-urban areas. Markets and drainage systems tend to have high snake activity. Poor waste management leads to an increase in rodent population and the presence of rats will attract snakes. In fact, larger snakes are often encountered in urban areas because of the consistent availability of food and shelter.
Sacred groves have traditionally been protected snake habitats. Do they still hold ecological relevance?
Sacred groves historically functioned as protected ecological niches that supported snake population and contributed to maintaining biodiversity. While many of these groves have vanished over time, their ecological significance remains. But snakes don’t require large habitats. They are highly adaptable and can survive in relatively small and undisturbed hiding spaces.
Can you explain the coexistence of humans and snakes at sacred groves like Mannarasala?
I haven’t personally visited Mannarasala, but such sacred groves are known to have a strong snake presence. There are no “special” species unique to these places. There have been no significant dangers reported to people in such spaces. Our ancestors lived deep within forests, coexisting with elephants, tigers, and other animals. Coexistence was not a concept but a way of life.
What’s the reason for ophidiophobia or the intense fear experienced by some people on sighting snakes?
Studies suggest that primates including humans are naturally predisposed to fear snakes. This fear does not come from learning that snakes are venomous. It is innate. Even if a child grows up without exposure to snakes, a fear often develops by the age of 10 to 12. This fear also serves as a protective mechanism for snakes. If primates weren’t afraid, it could have threatened snake survival.
Are all snakebite victims eligible for compensation?
In cases of death due to wildlife attacks, the government provides ex gratia assistance. If a snakebite death occurs outside the forest, the compensation is Rs 4 lakh. If the incident occurs inside the forest and the person has entered the forest legally, the compensation increases to Rs 14 lakh. In addition, treatment expenses are also covered.
Snake charmers appear to make snakes ‘dance’. How?
This practice is illegal. It is usually done with cobras, not vipers. Snakes perceive their surroundings through vision, ground vibrations, thermal sensing, and tongue flicking. When a cobra raises its head, it loses contact with ground vibrations and relies more on visual cues and movement. Snake charmers exploit this. The cobra is not responding to the music but reacting to the movement of the charmer’s pipe.
It’s said vipers can attack in 360 degrees...
Vipers usually remain disguised in sand, dry leaves, or undergrowth, making it hard to detect. If someone comes close, they can strike instantly. Cobras often raise their heads and display a warning posture before attacking. But vipers strike directly and quickly. The ability to sense thermal variations allows them to detect and accurately strike targets from multiple directions.
What’s the reason for the conflict between self-trained snake rescuers and those trained by the forest department?
The forest department started the SARPA app in 2020, in light of some incidents. A student named Shahla Sherin died due to a snakebite in a school in Wayanad in 2019. Despite having qualified teachers, nobody could handle such a medical emergency effectively. The Uthra murder case happened in 2020. As it was found that Uthra’s husband bought a snake from another person to kill her, we prepared a guideline that whoever catches a snake should report it to the department. Meanwhile, a snake rescuer named Zakir Hussain died of snakebite. When we realised that many snake rescuers are handling snakes in a dangerous manner, we introduced SARPA. Even people who had been rescuing snakes for over 50 years had availed this licence, while a few people proceeded as if they didn’t need this. We are forced to take legal action against people who engage in dangerous practices.
Does Vava Suresh have a licence?
No. We had hosted a programme in association with him at the training centre in Arippa. There were snake rescuers in the department much before the introduction of SARPA. I too have rescued snakes multiple times. Earlier, Vava Suresh was part of a programme aired by a private channel, called Snake Master. He has rescued king cobra from places like Pathanamthitta after receiving information from local contacts. We didn’t initiate any action, even when he made strong allegations that SARPA volunteers were releasing snakes in thickly populated areas.
How do traditional healers, or vishavaidyas, treat snakebite?
Around 75% of the snakebite cases in Kerala are non-venomous. Healers are well aware of the symptoms of envenomation, but their medicines are ineffective in treating snake venom. If the symptoms do not show envenomation, they will treat the patient. If they feel that the symptoms are positive, they will tell the patient they have arrived late and ask them to rush to a hospital. There is no other scientifically proven treatment method against snake venom.
Can all snakes climb trees?
Vine snakes, cat snakes, king cobra, cobra, common krait and python can climb. They can also enter homes, but their distribution is mostly in forests. Rarely are they spotted in urban areas. Some pit vipers can also climb trees.
Is there any element of truth behind the myth of ‘nagamanikyam’?
Nothing of that sort exists. There are videos on YouTube from north India, showing people taking stones from the head of snakes. They cut open the head of snakes to keep gemstones inside and they open it again to cheat people.
Is it a crime to kill a snake?
Snakes are protected wild animals. We usually don’t register cases against people who kill snakes for self-defence. But if it is a deliberate act amounting to cruelty, we register cases. As such, it is a crime to kill snakes and the people involved may get a jail term of seven years. Even keeping snakes is a crime.
Is it safe to keep water outside the house for birds?
Now, there’s a rumour that keeping water outside a house for birds can attract snakes. It’s a good thing to keep water for birds. In forest areas, we find king cobra in water bodies. It will keep swimming to cool itself. But instances of snakes approaching houses to drink water are rare. They may need water once in three days or so, and mostly, the water requirement is met from its prey itself.
Are snakes cold-blooded animals?
Yes. That’s why snakes don’t roost over their eggs. The eggs hatch on their own. Snakes don’t have a steady body temperature, and hence, there’s no use of it roosting over the eggs. The outer shell of the eggs are soft, and hence, not meant for roosting. Snakes, however, try to cool their bodies during summers by lying inside water bodies.
We have grown up watching movies like ‘Anaconda’. Are there snakes that can gobble up humans?
I started my career with the forest department in Marayoor and have worked in Achancoil and Thattekkad. Everywhere, I have heard of the name ‘Karingoli’. People talk about a big snake that makes a sound like a rooster. Actually, these are exaggerated stories about king cobra. I have trekked extensively and visited Agasthyakoodam 12 times. I should have encountered ‘Karingoli’ if there was something like that.
It seems you have a passion for snakes. What’s the reason?
I used to rescue snakes right from the beginning of my career. More than being scared, you should be careful and alert. I’m a trainer with SARPA and have trained around 8,000 volunteers. We issue certificates to only those candidates who are confident. We have issued certificates to around 3,600 people. During debriefing, we ask them if they are scared of snakes. If they say no, we deem them unfit to be good rescuers.
TNIE team: Cithara Paul, Manoj Viswanathan, Aparna Nair, Varsha Somaraj, Aswin Asok Kumar Albin Mathew (photos) Pranav V P (video)