Snakes are jeopardised by many issues that affect other wildlife including habitat, ill-health and climate change. But it is the negative attitude toward serpents that is the sizable barrier to their conservation as it often impedes efforts to address threats.
While a lot of people tend to run or become startled at the sight of a snake and often kill it, some cherish these creatures and encourage others to create a safe environment for them. This father-son duo from Mysuru has spent most of their lives trying to provide a safe haven for these gorgeous reptiles.
About the duo: Wildlife conservationist and untrained herpetologist, M S Balasubramaniam, popularly known as Snake Shyam has rescued and helped rehabilitate close to 47,600 snakes on record since 1999. “I have rescued nearly 40,000 snakes before I started maintaining the logbook,” he adds. According to him, his highest number of rescues in a single day was on 11, November 2012, when he rescued 38 snakes.
Shyam has worked with veterans like Romulus Whitaker and Gerry Martin. Shyam has also been featured by National Geographic Channel in its Croc Chronicles: Snakes, Karma, Action special and Netflix's 72 Dangerous Animals: Chemical Warfare.
Snake Shyam’s son Surya Keerthi, a budding conservationist, has been rescuing 10-15 snakes every day over the past 4 years.
How it all began: Shyam was born in a family where none of the family members had any inclination towards snakes but for Surya, his 'appa' was his role model and he wanted to follow in his footsteps ever since childhood.
Shyam caught his first snake at the age of 13 to save it from being killed. His son used to observe him rescue snakes as a child and in his absence, used to rescue non-venomous snakes. “If it was a venomous snake I used to inform my father and monitor the snake’s movements until he arrived,” says Surya.
Upon being asked about his son's career choice, Shyam says that he couldn't be any happier. "My son has chosen to serve nature and the people. I'm proud of him," he expresses.
Surya caught the attention of thousands of people when he posted a video where he was seen trying to save a gravid Spectacled Cobra that was fighting for its life after a vehicle had run over it.
Passion to save snakes: Neither Shyam nor Surya charge people for their services and gladly accept whatever people offer to pay. They believe that fixing a minimum charge for a rescue would propel people to kill the snake rather than reaching out to a rescuer. Shyam mentions that they have been rescuing snakes even during the pandemic by risking their lives.
Shreyas Devanoor, a resident of Mysuru says, says “Shyam has been rescuing snakes for nearly 40 years now. He is known as a man of contentment and simplicity who does not charge for his rescues."
Shyam started rescuing snakes because he felt that a snake, like any other animal, deserves to reside in a safe environment. “They do not deserve to die because of our fear and ignorance,” he says.
“Some species of snakes such as kraits, Russell's vipers and cobras are venomous and are responsible for thousands of human deaths across India but most snakes are maligned and misunderstood by a majority of the people,” his son Surya says.
Shivakumar B, another resident says, “Before people would kill any snake upon sighting it but it is the fruit of Shyamanna‘s effort that people today can differentiate between venomous and non-venomous snakes and not harm them.”
Both, the father and son, believe that educating people about snakes is the best way to eradicate fear amongst them and mitigate human-snake conflicts. They also try to decode myths about serpents that have been prevalent for ages with rational scientific explanations and inform people about them.
Shyam's only grievance: Shyam says that over the past few decades he has observed that some people disrespectfully treat rescuers and appeals to give rescuers the respect that they deserve.
What the duo commonly advise people:
Snakes are cold-blooded animals and are incapable of regulating their body temperature. They enter human settlements in search of prey and take up residence in warm and covered spaces for survival and safety especially during monsoon.
-Always carry a flashlight while stepping out at night, mainly in rural areas.
-Leave footwear stands inside the house during winter and rainy seasons.
-Move firewood, haystack etc with a stick or rod before picking it up.
-Do not leave doors and windows open during the monsoon.
-Never try to disturb a snake sitting near a vehicle since they end up hiding inside the vehicle making it hard to safely extricate it out.