‘Snakes Around Us’ is one of their campaign projects as their passion for wildlife has brought them to confront what they call absence of proper understanding among people about snakes. Their campaign focusses on providing scientific information on snakes to create a general awareness about them.
The voluntary group these wildlife enthusiasts have formed in the district today has 10 trained wildlife rescuers and their services are mostly directed to rescue snakes found in households or other places and release them in their safe environment.
Eliminating fears
The Malabar Awareness and Rescue Centre for Wildlife (MARCW), started by a group of youngsters with passion for wildlife around three years ago, is now working in close coordination with the Forest and Wildlife Department for the rescue of wildlife.
They get daily calls to rescue or capture snakes and people often want the captured snakes killed. Hence, the ‘Snake Around Us’ programme initiated by the MARCW to eliminate fears about snakes.
“We are conducting classes in schools and for the public to clear their fears about snakes by imparting them with facts about different snake species,” said Roshnath R., one of the founders of the MARCW.
The rescue operation of the group’s rescuers is also linked with research to find which type of snakes is commonly found in a particular season, he said.
Support of youngsters
The voluntary group also wants to attract more wildlife passionate youngsters to volunteer as rescuers, added Mr. Roshnath, a wildlife researcher.
Training
Anyone who volunteers to become wildlife rescuer will be given training and rescue kit by the MARCW. They are also trained to give first-aid treatment to injured creatures. Nowadays, plastic materials and nets are causing injuries to snakes and other species.
“Recently we found a python injured badly by a piece of pipe and it was not able to feed,” said Riyaz Mangad, another founder of the MARCW and rescuer. The group’s rescuers found the animal and removed the pipe and later released it back safely into its natural environment, he said. Hardly a day passes this month without the rescuers getting a call for rescuing/capturing trapped pythons, he added.
The rescuers are also involved in saving other species of wildlife. Recently, MARCW members rescued 12 Lesser Crested Terns from the Muzhappilangad beach here and, after feeding them for 44 days, released them back to sea. A monitor lizard whose head got trapped in a bottle was also rescued recently. In another case, a Black Kite trapped here was also rescued and released.
