Bihar-born Vidya Raju is not a professional snake catcher and certainly not a female counterpart of Kerala's dare-devil snake expert Vava Suresh. But like Suresh, she too shares a love for all things that have life, snakes being her favourites. Vidya, a former Navy wife based in Kochi, was only too happy to share her tryst with the crawlies.
One fine day, as she was humming away in her kitchen came a call from the Naval Base in Kochi. A python was spotted on its premises. The matter was immediately conveyed to the Forest officials, the usual procedure when a snake is spotted anywhere. In the time she took to slip into her jeans and T-shirt, her husband Raju already had their vehicle running. Her daughter Shwetha also jumped in and off they went. It was only when the snake was hauled away that Vidya saw a large number of eggs lying scattered where the snake had been. They were all snake eggs, 21 of them, ready to hatch any moment. If the eggs were to hatch, the place would be littered with snakes, not so rosy a picture. She started collecting all the eggs so that they could be taken along with the mother reptile. As she was packing them into a wooden barrel, some of the eggs cracked and the young snakes crawled out. One egg even hatched while it was still in her hands with the young one snaking into her hands. It was one of Vidya’s most fulfilling moments. A life was born in her hands. The snake-whisperer still cherishes the memory of the moment.
Love for Nature
Vidya’s love for all things living took off at a very early age. Her husband, Commodore N V S Raju had retired as Command Education and Welfare Officer from the Southern Naval Command in Kochi. As for Vidya, a postgraduate in economics, she was a teacher for over 10 years. But as her husband’s frequent transfers went against her career plans, she opted out.
“It’s not only snakes I’m in love with. I love all living things. When we were kids, my father used to take us all outdoors. He loved to trek and we would go with him. That’s how we learnt to love Nature, to love the tweet and chirp of birds and the natural green cover of the Earth. My father used to bring home animals and birds he found injured by the wayside. He would treat them, rub medicines into their wounds. My mother was also very kind. She would feed all birds,” says Vidya going back to her childhood.

She wanted to pursue higher studies in zoology or botany. But practical concerns weighed in favour of economics as it would be easier to land a job in a bank. But now after so many twists and turns in life, she’s got what she loves the most.
First catch
Realizing her genuine fondness for nature, her husband too decided to back her up. He too joined in. One of their transfers took them to Goa. Usually, the officers’ quarters are tucked far away from the bustle of the city in quieter environs. Vidaya and husband had their home by the side of the River Mandovi and were active members of the Nature Club there. One day a snake crawled into a garage. Though the snake was caught, everyone was terrified. But Vidya was cool. Her only thought was how the snake could be saved.

She was only too happy to be with it till the foresters came. This was her first tryst with snakes. To date she has caught 875 of them, which include the King Cobra, python, viper and several other poisonous and non-poisonous varieties.
Shed fear about snakes
Snakes are harmless, says Vidya. It strikes only when it feels it’s threatened. When you set out to get a snake always ensure that the curious onlookers at the spot be quitened. In a frantic bid to scare the reptile away, people tend to set crackers on fire and beat the ground with sticks. With each thump on the ground, the snake feels its vibration. Many a time she has let rat snakes slip away. All she needs is to leave the doors open to let them slither out to their holes. Why kill such snakes, she asks. Keralites have this notion that the moment they spot a snake they have to kill it. Why kill something that in no way harms you?
The poisonous ones, once caught, are secured in sacks and handed over to the Forest Department. The department lets the reptile out into the forests. At times, the snakes are left for safekeeping in police stations till the foresters come.
“Once when the police refused to keep a snake, we took up the responsibility and kept it outside our residence. We had guests that day. But we did not breathe a word about the snake. We did not want to frighten them,” says Vidya.
One morning, she got a call from Aniyal Beach in Vypeen. As she was not well versed in Malayalam, all Vidya could make out was the word “pampu”. The callers were fisherfolk. When she drove down, she saw a huge viper caught in their fishing net. The reptile had bitten into a big fish and half of it was in its mouth. There was no way the snake could slither out. It was totally entangled in the net. What Vidya saw was fear and pity in its eyes. She slowly started untangling the knots. That was some experience indeed! She was quite aware of the fact that she could be bitten in the process. It took hours to get the knots out and the snake was finally taken out.
There are times when you have to wait for hours on end for a snake to crawl out of its hideout. If they happen to slither into houses, they coil up under almirahs or sofas. They come out when the whole place turns quiet.
“Haven’t you seen the speed with which fielders take the catch? That’s the kind of speed you need when dealing with snakes. If you are slow, you’ll end up getting bitten. I was bitten thrice despite all the care and precaution I always take,” says Vidya. The first time was when she tried to get a python. In its frantic bid to get away, it tightly twined its tail around her little finger. The snake weighed around 20 kg.
Though she was hurt, it was not much of a hazard. That episode taught her to be more careful. Vidya has caught more snakes during the monsoon months. She remembers those occasions when more than three snakes were caught in a day.
It’s not only snakes she has saved. She’s been saviour to silver owls, hawks and many other birds. This is her life, her joy. It’s been seven years since the commodore retired. All their relatives are in Vishakapatnam. But the couple chooses to live here because they have everything that makes them happy here. They have a daily routine of bird-watching once breakfast is done. They often engage the public in awareness classes too.
The couple has two children. Their son Abhilash is a Lt Commander in Karnataka and daughter Shwetha, an HR consultant in Bengaluru.
Vidya says her early work was centred round the Naval Academy where gold medals are awarded only to those who truly belong to the academy. However, the protocol was broken in her case and today, when occasions come up, Vidya proceeds to the Naval Academy wearing her medal.
Be it mid-day or night, Vidya just leaps out the minute she is told of a snake’s presence. She feels good when the snake is caught and handed over to the Forest Department.
“I’ve been offered money as a token of thanks,” says a much amused Vidya. But it was the safety of her reptilian friends that mattered the most.
“Whenever I catch a snake and hand it over, it’s my father’s word I recall. He used to say: ‘All living beings are God’s creations, respect them’. Those words are what inspire me,” says the snake lover.
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