In a bid to lower instances of accidental death among snake handlers, the Thane Forest Department has decided to train the former about protocols they need to follow during rescue operations
Somnath Mhatre of Belapur succumbed to snakebite while kissing a rescued cobra
In a bid to lower instances of accidental death among snake handlers, the Thane Forest Department has decided to train the former about protocols they need to follow during rescue operations. The officials will be interacting with snake rescuers from across the state on April 10.
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According to sources, experts in the field of herpetology will be roped in for this initiative. Santosh Kank, Range Forest Officer (RFO) of the Mumbai Range chapter of Thane Forest Department (Territorial) said, “It’s a one day workshop for snake rescuers from Mumbai and adjoining areas, in which they would be taught by experts about the protocol and ethics they need to follow while rescuing venomous as well as non-venomous snakes.”
The workshop, in which nearly 100 snake handlers are expected to participate, will also seek to educate the rescuers about the various sections under the Wildlife Protection Act. “The idea is to ensure that these handlers know they can be booked if they resort to unnecessary stunts with the animals. We will appeal to the rescuers to use proper equipment and take proper precautions to prevent snakebites. We will also dissuade them from posting pictures of their work on social media platforms to ensure rookies as well as untrained locals do not attempt to imitate the rescue work in any part of the country,” Kank said.
Significantly, the initiative is the brainchild of the Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) of Thane Forest Department, Sunil Limaye, and it will be conducted in association with Thane-based NGO Wildlife Welfare Association. Herpetologist Kedar Bhide is also expected to train the handlers.
In the recent past, several snake rescuers have died while handling snakes, and forest department officials say the deaths were mostly caused by erroneous methods of the rescuers.
On February 6, mid-day reported about a man from Belapur, who died while kissing a rescued cobra. Following the incident, herpetologists and NGOs working in the field of snake rescue and rehabilitation had demanded that the forest department issue guidelines to deal with rescued reptiles. In the same month, 19-year-old Avez Mistry was killed when he was attacked by a snake.
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