Forest dept catches 50,000 serpents in 4 years, claims drop in snakebite deaths

Kottayam: The Forest Department has caught 50,000 snakes from populated areas across the state in the past four years. The department’s Sarpa volunteers caught the snakes and released them into the forests. These figures were revealed in the four-year report released by the department. Indian cobra, king cobra, common krait, and python were the most frequently spotted species in populated areas.

In 2019, 123 people died of snakebite in the state. However, the department claims that snakebite deaths were reduced to just 30 by 2024. The report also states that Kerala is the first state to implement specific guidelines and training for catching snakes.

In addition, around 5,000 wild hogs that caused widespread destruction in the agricultural sector were eliminated over the past four years. To prevent wild animals such as elephants, wild hogs, and bison from straying into populated areas, 646 brushwood check dams, 55 artificial ponds, and 38 check dams were constructed to ensure food and water availability inside the forest.

Meanwhile, the Kerala Forest Research Institute has started studying tribal practices to reduce human–wildlife conflicts. The report notes that the institute has begun collecting data from 36 tribal communities as part of this project.

Number of pythons rises
Perumbetti: Farmers and residents are increasingly alarmed by the rise in python sightings in the region. Pythons were spotted at seven locations in the past 15 days. The Forest Department’s rapid action force captured a python near the public library and released it into the forest.

Last week, a woman collecting fodder was bitten by a snake. The snake, trapped in a net fixed to the door of a hog trap, bit her as she tried to free it. Pythons have also been sighted in Ambalabayal, Ullanmala, Keecheripadi, and along the Illathu paddy fields on both sides of the Perumbetti Valiathodu lake, which originates from the Valiakavu forest area.

Snakes are often found in courtyards covered with thickets and bushes, as well as in rubber and nutmeg plantations in the area. People are now afraid to walk on the roads, especially after sunset. Pythons frequently crawl onto the main roads at night, when traffic is sparse, posing a serious threat to public safety.