Cobra operation proves last for successful snake rescuer; lack of rescue kits blamed

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Naresh, 52, died reportedly after being bitten by a cobra he last rescued on May 30. The successful snake rescuer, however, was not licensed. He was a resident of Chikkamagaluru.

According to other rescuers, the venomous cobra bit him when he tried to release it after keeping it inside the boot space of his scooter. He is survived by his wife and two children. The hospital declared that Naresh was brought dead. Police officials of Chikkamagaluru Town registered a case of unnatural death.

While his colleagues said Naresh was not a licensed rescuer, the forest department always dialled him for rescue operations. Mohan, a snake rescuer from the BBMP in Bengaluru told News Trail that the death of Naresh was very tragic and disturbing.

“It is very bad that the rescuer didn’t have a proper kit while releasing the venomous snake. He was a nonlicensed rescuer and the forest department should either have given him proper kits or not called him. Our lives are also important and we do have a family to feed. The death shows the apathy of the forest department in providing the rescuers with the kits”, he said. He also alleged the BBMP of not providing honorarium for rescuers.

“Once in three years, they provide an honorarium, but what is the use of such”, he said. Kranthi, the Divisional Forest Officer of Chikkamagaluru told News Trail that the department has not given any licence to the rescuer, adding he was a well-known snake rescuer.

“We don’t have any license in our department but he was given the protection kit. Unfortunately, he died while releasing it”, he said. Since Naresh was an unlicensed rescuer for the last three decades, he won’t be getting any honorarium, the officer added. Shyam, another rescuer and a friend of Naresh, expressed his opinion and said the rescuers must handle every snake carefully and deal with every operation as their first one.

“Don’t show heroism towards venomous species and always be careful during the complete operation”, he said. According to the Registrar General of India-Million Death Study, nearly 46, 900 deaths occur every year due to snake bites in India. The rescuers said the government must provide more alternative protection kits, given that they are from the marginalised community.

While placing a rescued snake in the boot space that is close to the engine drew criticism about the snake’s safety, it also alerted the importance of saving such creatures as it is needed for preserving ecological diversity and balance. Snakes also play major roles in controlling the rat population.