Kerala - Kochi   

Snake catchers get a raw deal

For a living: A snake catcher holds a captured snake.

KOCHI: A king cobra can kill an adult elephant in 59 seconds; the time taken to kill a human being is far less.

But, most professional snake catchers in Kerala go armed with only an ordinary stick to catch the deadly king cobras or vipers. These underpaid people are motivated by the fact that they save many innocent lives, despite the manifold dangers of their job. Many of them derive satisfaction from the heroic image they gain when they overpower a snake and trap it. Though quite a few of them have been killed in action or maimed for life, they take care not to kill the snakes so that they can be released into the forest.

Fed up with the raw deal that they get from the government and society, some of them have grouped together and formed the All Kerala Snake Protectors’ Association. Many of those who had suffered snake bites spoke about their grievances in Kochi recently. At least half a dozen of them had their fingers or limbs amputated after being bitten by venomous snakes.

Among them was Stephen, employed on daily wages by the Forest Department at the Thattekkad Wildlife Sanctuary. A month since he was bitten by a viper, he has not slept properly due to the excruciating pain that accompanies snake bites. His offence – he was a little too mild in handling a viper that was pregnant.

Foremost among the demands of snake catchers is that the government provide them with sticks that can be controlled by hand using a clip, so that they can catch snakes without exposing themselves to danger. “The sticks have to be imported, mainly from Australia,” said Martin Meekamali, association president, who has so far handled over 100 snakes.

The other demands include fair wages, insurance coverage and professional training. As of now, each catcher uses his guts, intuition and a rough idea of the psychology of each type of snake to tame them. They will go on an indefinite strike if their demands are not met.

“Even many veterinary doctors do not know how to treat snake-bite victims. Many of them are unaware of where on the limb (and how) to tie the cloth to prevent the venom from affecting the body. Despite the numerous hazards, employees of even government-owned snake parks are paid a pittance. In many places, they enter the snake cage barefoot as they have not been given boots. If not the government, NGOs can help us,” Mr. Meekamali said.

People must ensure that the victims of snake bites remain calm, as panicking would worsen their condition. The association plans to launch a web site on the precautions to be taken following a snake-bite and how to prevent being bitten. It will have a list of hospitals that have anti-venom medicines and the benefits of snake venom in preparing medicines.

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