For many children in the city who were scared of snakes, Rajkumar Kanuri helped them overcome their fear and made them understand the world of these beautiful reptiles. An ophiologist, (one who studies snakes,) Rajkumar had been studying and understanding snakes for about 40 years. In his demise recently India lost one of its renowned ophiologist as well as conservationist and ecologist.
But his institution “Friends of Snake Society” will continue to work towards rescue, rehabilitation and conservation of snakes. Not only did he and his team rescue snakes, they've also been conducting demos in schools for over two decades.
Snakes alive!
“A politician, an engineer, a teacher, an ecologist….they all begin as students in a school”, stated Rajkumar “that is why I like to do educational demos in schools. In their early years and at an impressionable age if children are made to understand the importance of snakes and wildlife, the importance of co-existing with nature, the significance of the eco-system, I think I've done my bit in sensitising a person to the world around.”
Thousands of children used to watch open-mouthed as Rajkumar and his team brought venomous and non-venomous snakes to the school premises and display them to the children and patiently explain all about them in a highly interesting (and safe) manner. The entire episode used to be special and remains one of those lessons one remembers for a lifetime!
The “Friends of Snakes” society has members who are mostly volunteers that often started off as students watching Rajkumar's demos.
The Forest Department, Wildlife Department, Maneka Gandhi, Amala Ankineni , have all been extremely co-operative and supportive of Rajkumar's work. His 12 year old son is following in father's foot-steps handles the snakes(non venomous) with an uncanny ease.
Rajkumar's dream was to start a large snake farm. His snake farm near Sainikpuri was a hub to “edutain” children with the educational demos with live snakes. He survived about 30 snake-bites (poisonous), lost two of his fingers and considered himself very fortunate to be alive to pursue his passion for these beautiful creatures of nature “that are highly misunderstood and are not out to get you” as he puts it! He was glad that schools invited his team for demos and people too kill snakes lesser these days.
Let's remember him and hope of a better existence for his slithering companions he cared for during his life!
