Snake Charmer Arrest and Snake Awareness Programme in Malda
1 January & 12 January 2023
Spearheaded by zonal coordinator Jayanta Chakrabarty, team HEAL in Malda district is doing a fantastic job for furthering the cause of snake conservation. On 01 January in Rasikpur, Gazole block (Malda district), HEAL member Bapi Das aided the Forest Department in the arrest of a snake charmer in Rasikpur, Gazole block. The forest officials seized a two spectacled cobras and a monocled cobra from his possession. The culprit was remanded to 20 days in judicial custody.
Following this, on 12 January, Bapi Das and HEAL Zonal Coordinator Jayanta Chakraborty conducted a snake awareness and snake-bite mitigation programme in Muriya Kund, Gazole block. These initiatives are part of HEAL’s ongoing “Zero Deaths from Snakebite” campaign, which aims to eradicate fear of snakes by educating the general public on behaviour of reptiles, their ecology, methods to avoid snakebites and treat snakebite victims.
Effective conservation is multifaceted and team Malda’s endeavours perfectly illustrate this. Efforts enhancing acceptance for wildlife when complemented with strict implementation of wildlife protection laws, ensure harmonious coexistence in shared spaces while abating unlawful exploitation of protected and threatened species.