One might wonder how is it possible to learn about reptiles through a digital medium. But Steffi John, education officer at Madras Crocodile Bank begs to differ. She says that it is very much possible and in fact, they have seen more people attending the monthly workshops. “Initially, I also had the same doubt about hosting virtual workshops. Because all our programmes are hands-on and it is experiential learning. But we aren’t sure when we will be able to host physical workshops again. I didn’t want people to lose that excitement and decided to conduct virtual workshops. What I learned during the pandemic is that stories can create a huge impact on people. So, I started sharing stories of each reptile and it was a huge hit. Our reptile category includes snakes, turtles, crocodiles, tortoises, and lizards.,” Steffi John.

Details about the programmes are shared on social media platforms. “Anyone can register for our virtual programmes where we talk about snake species, baby reptiles, zoo veterinarian and so on. We make sure that each programme is different from the other so that it interests people. What’s even more exciting is that sometimes participants will be fortunate to report a different behaviour of the animals. I also share interesting videos of reptiles in our bank,” she adds.