This is taken from: The
Better India. The site is very special because it gives positive news. I
suggest readers to visit the site and know what is happening positive around
us. You can access the original article at http://www.thebetterindia.com/3926/friends-of-snakes/
Friends of Snakes:
Dispelling myths and reaffirming that snakes are not bad!
An NGO based out of
Hyderabad, “Friends of Snakes” is reinforcing the ancient Indian ethos of respect
for all form of life, irrespective of whether it is human or animal.
How often have you seen
the mayhem which follows after a snake is sighted? Most often, after a frenzy
of shouting, yelling and chasing, the snake ends up being smashed to death. Unless,
of course, it is lucky enough to slither away to safety.
Consider this: Of the 275
snake species that are found in India, approximately 70% of them are
non-venomous. These non-venomous snakes help maintain the biodiversity balance
by devouring on rodents who in turn are responsible of destroying a quarter of
our food grain produce. Nature has its own ways of managing and controlling
biodiversity and our tendency to meddle in this is not the wisest of things to
do.
Most of the hatred
against snakes stems from lack of awareness and the presence of myths. To break
these myths and to save these beautiful reptiles from being killed
unnecessarily, an organization in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh has been
established by the name “Friends of Snakes”. Friends of Snakes was established
in the year 1995 by Raj Kumar Kanuri, with the help of his mother Mrs. Joan
Kanuri and Mr. K. V. Rao.
Since its inception,
Friends of Snakes has been leading educational demonstrations in villages,
educational institutions, corporate offices, social meetings. The organization
also runs a snake rescue and rehabilitation centre which works 24/7, attending
to human-snake encounter situations where the lives of both are at risk.
 |
| Volunteers educating children about
snakes | | |
While the founder of the
society with this unique mission is no more with us, yet his team of volunteers
continues on this path, helping create a balanced ecosphere. Many would think
that this effort is not worth much and arguably so. But we need to sit back and
think how much these tiny steps could add-up to, if people in all communities
draw inspiration from this selfless mission.
Copyright © 2013 The
Better India, All rights reserved.
This article is written by Shubhajyoti is an MBA
and a freelance journalist.
He is based out of Kolkata and actively follows positive
happenings around him.
