Hyderabad: Volunteers help snakes stay safe

Around 150 members of Friends of Snakes Society are committed to rescuing these slithery visitors

Hyderabad: Every year, thousands of people lose their lives due to snakebite-related accidents. At the same time, facing numerous man-made and natural threats, more and more snake species are becoming extinct with time. Trying to solve the issue on both ends, some passionate animal lovers from Hyderabad have joined an initiative to work for snake conservation.

Friends of Snakes Society (FOSS), a non-profit organisation founded in 1995 by the late Rajkumar Kanuri for snake conservation and rescue operations, is supported by more than 150 active and committed members and rescues around 10,000 snakes every year.

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A working professional, G Vivek has a 10 to 7 job but he still takes time out to volunteer.

Passionate about working for animals, he says, “After my work hours, I am available for rescue operations. I have a night shift at the NGO and volunteer during the weekends.”

FOSS has a 24×7 helpline number for citizens to call in the sighting of a snake and the nearest available volunteer is sent for the rescue operation. The snake is safely brought to the shelter house and after taking care is released into the forest. Arun Kumar, another volunteer says a few months of training later, he was skilled enough to go on rescue operations. “My first experience was with a cobra. I used the methods taught to us and guided the snake into the bag, without giving it much trouble,” he recalls.

Avinash V, general secretary of FOSS, seeks to dispel the common assumptions that snakes are dangerous. “The truth is snakes avoid human contact and to their best, stay away from us. We have been cutting down forests for our own needs and entering their habitat. It is we humans, who go near them,” he says.

FOSS has partnered with the Telangana Forest Department to release the snakes safely back into the forest. On an average day, the helpline receives around 200 calls that have helped the organization rescue snakes. “Anybody above 18 years of age with a passion for animals can join our initiative in protecting snakes. New members undergo six months of training before we send them for rescue operations in their available hours,” Avinash says.

With the help of these 150 heroes of Hyderabad, FOSS has begun its initiative to make a change.

Snakes in Hyderabad:

Hyderabad has around 41 snake species of which only four are venomous. Some of the non-venomous snake species found in the city are Rat snakes, Wolf snakes, Egg eater snakes, etc. And one venomous snake species found in Hyderabad is the Indian speculated cobra. “Snakes are cold-blooded animals, they can’t tolerate much heat, and thus, during the summer, they mostly, remain in their burrows. From February to April, snakes undergo mating, and during the start of the rainy days, we see many of these babies coming out,” says Avinash.

By Jewelika Saha