Karnataka forest department lays ground rules to mitigate human-snake conflict

The Karnataka Forest Department on Monday published an operational manual for certified snake rescuers in an effort to streamline the rescue work to mitigate the human-snake conflict.

Karnataka is home to 10 of the 18 families of snakes known worldwide, including several venomous snakes of which four -- spectacled cobra, common krait, Russell's viper and saw-scaled viper -- have been identified as medically significant.

The manual titled 'Effective Human-Snake Conflict Management and Mitigation' notes that urban expansion has led to snakes and humans facing each other more frequently than ever. "Out of the approximately 1.4 lakh global annual deaths due to venomous snakebite, an estimated 58,000 to 62,000 occur in India," it said.

The manual prepared by Gerard Martin of Liana Trust, Sumanth Bindumadhav of Humane Society International/India and herpetologist Romulus Whitaker gives basic knowledge of the snakes, from taxonomy and anatomy to snake bite management, besides laying the ground rules under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.

At the same time, there has been a rise in the number of untrained and unlicenced snake rescuers. "Snake rescue has become a viable way for youth to make quick money while also gaining adulation on social media. This has led to an increase in the frequency of accidents," the manual said.

Seen from the conservation aspect, unscientific relocation has led to the death of the snakes due to starvation. "There is a need to regulate the process in tune with scientific and conservation principles," it said.

The manual provides key guidelines to ensure the protection of the life of the people as well as the snakes.

The manual is available to the public on the website of the department.