On July 31, V. Venkatraman caught a rat snake from his neighbour’s house: That is the seventh catch in the last three months, and 17th in the last two years. Venkatraman is not a herpetologist, just an IT professional.
In 2014, he moved into a new independent house in Sri Varadhapuram, along with his family, and he did not anticipate snake encounters. Initially, snakes would show up on the streets and vacant plots. In 2016, the family found one in their backyard. Venkatraman called some passers-by for help. He expected them to catch the snake and let it elsewhere. Instead, they had it beaten to death.
As he knows snakes have to be protected as they are integral to the eco-system, he decided to learn how to catch snakes. That would ensure the snakes’ and his family’s safety.
“I approached members of Irula community and they taught me to identify venomous and non-venomous snakes. Apart from the Cobra, I can now identify water snakes, Saw-Scaled Viper, Russel’s Viper and Krait. The forest department people taught me a few methods of catching snakes. When the forest department people arrive to take away the snake and relocate it, they are spared the trouble of searching for the snake. They however cautioned me against meddling with snakes. I heeded their advice. However, during the lockdown, the forest department staff were busy attending to many calls, as emboldended by low the movement of people, many snakes were venturing out into the open. So, we took the snakes and let them out at Sembakkam where there are forest tracts,” says Venkatraman, who is the secretary of Sri Varadhapuram Residents Welfare Association. He has been ensuring that the vacant plots in the neighbourhood are not overrun with shrubs inviting snakes.
“At regular intervals, we clear the plots of shrubs. We inform the owners of the land and they have been quite cooperative in the matter. We collect ₹200 for this purpose. It is usually done during February and July. Our Association seeks to protect its people without harming snakes. Hence this exercise,” says Venkatraman.