Over 5,000 snakes rescued in six months across Telangana

Hyderabad: Friends of Snakes Society (FOSS), in collaboration with the Telangana forest department, rescued 5,954 snakes across Telangana between Jan 1 and June 30 this year. Of these, 3,337 were venomous and 2,617 non-venomous, with all safely relocated to forest habitats after identification.

The majority of venomous snakes rescued were Spectacled Cobras (2,970), followed by Russell’s Vipers (344) and Common Kraits (23). Non-venomous species included Indian Rat Snakes, Checkered Keelbacks, Bronzeback Tree Snakes, Indian Rock Pythons, Red Sand Boas, and Barred Wolf Snakes.

The organisation, which marked its 30th anniversary on June 30, also conducted over 200 awareness sessions in schools, colleges, forest and police academies, and rural areas during the same period. The workshops reached over 40,000 people, focusing on snake ecology, encounter safety, first aid for snake bites, and debunking myths.

To mark three decades of operations and in the run-up to World Snake Day on July 16, FOS announced ‘Snakebite Mitigation Initiative’, aimed at curbing snakebite deaths in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh by 2030.

As part of the initiative, FOS will launch a new public website, www.snakebite.in, on July 16. The platform will offer a 24/7 snake identification cell, first-aid protocols, a venomous snake distribution map, and a hospital locator for bite victims.

“Snakebite is a preventable public health issue. Through this initiative, we hope to bridge the information gap and save lives,” said Avinash Visvanathan, general secretary, Friends of Snakes Society.