Most of us would scream and run the moment we spot a snake, but Nigel Marven would do just the opposite. He would dive right in to tackle it and share insight on the reptile. Ahead of the telecast of his upcoming series on Animal Planet, Deadliest Snakes With Nigel Marven , the British naturalist and wildlife television presenter, producer and author talks about his passion for India and his pick of the 10 deadliest snakes in the country.
“The experience in India is always fantastic,” he says over the phone. “I love coming here because there is such amazing wildlife and the venomous snakes, though dangerous, are very beautiful. I always wanted to make a film on the venomous snakes of India and this was my chance. These top 10 is my own list and it was interesting to speak to experts in India and hear their opinions.” Nigel says he loves India because it’s vibrant and colourful. “You’ve got lovely, spicy food. I don’t eat meat so the vegetarian food here is truly wonderful. It’s also nice to see things changing from the colourful markets, wonderful fisherman and local villages that we film to the sophisticated urban life. It is a lovely mix between the old and new.”
The presenter also modestly says he was astonished at how familiar he is to people in India. “I’m not very well known in the UK when compared to my fellow presenters but in India, every tenth person seemed to recognise me. It’s great to have so many friends here.”
Nigel say the takeaway from his show is “The fact that snakes are not out to get us. They will only bite in self-defence. In this show, I’d like to tell people in India who get bitten by snakes to get themselves to a hospital rather than try to cut or suck the poison. Keep calm and get to the nearest hospital. All snakes want to save their venom to hunt mice and will not waste it on human beings. They’ll do anything to get away without biting.”
He adds safety tip. “Hopefully there’s a local expert around you can call when you spot a snake. Do not catch it with your bare hands. It’s best to call in the expert or use a long stick and push it into a dustbin and later get it released back in the wild.”
On his journey so far, the 54-year-old says it has been wonderful. “People are going to run out of new ideas but that’s not the case for me not with me. There are always new discoveries and amazing stories, particularly with creepy crawlies, amphibians and reptiles, which I like. I have twists in every corner of my journey.”
To people interested in a career in wildlife, he suggests that producers and scriptwriters do their research so they can talk to people and find interesting stories. “Camera people, on the other hand, need to spend time on the field, respect the animals, and be patient. Smaller creatures will also give you interesting stories. It’s not just the lion, tiger or elephant you need to go after.”
Nigel describes his encounter with a bull shark in the Bahamas as his most dangerous one. “My friend Erik got 60 cm of his calf bitten off and I was just a metre away! I’ll never forget that incident.” Nigel adds that he handles a lot of animals. “But I always treat them with respect. Even when I’m talking to the camera, I’m watching them from the corner of my eye. They are wild animals and naturally tend to react when they feel threatened.” He parts with a request to all his friends in India to check out a special video message he leaves for them on his website www.nigelmarven.com with his pet owl Beaky.
Catch Nigel in action on Animal Planet on Deadliest Snakes With Nigel Marven starting from October 5, Monday to Friday at 9 p.m. in a new season of action-packed snake adventures, as he travels the length and breadth of India featuring the most lethal snakes including the yellow-lipped Sea Krait, the King Cobra, the Russell’s Viper and the Indian Rock Python.
