Kerala turns to tribal wisdom to help solve human-animal conflict
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The Hindu
4 days ago
- The Hindu
About 1,000 educational institutions covered under 'SARPA Padam' awareness programme on snakes
About 1,000 educational institutions in the State have been covered under 'SARPA Padam,' a snake-related awareness program launched by the Kerala Forest Department this year. The idea is to cover all educational institutions ranging from anganwadis to colleges during this academic year. As per the General Education Department's data, there are 36,000 educational institutions up to higher secondary level in Kerala. 'SARPA Padam,' is an extension of department's initiative SARPA, Snake Awareness Rescue and Protection App, a digital platform for various matters related to snakes and snake bites. 'We have trained a group of 70 educators to conduct the hour-long awareness classes in educational institutions. This include both the staff of the forest department including social forestry wing and volunteers. We are in the process of training additional batches of educators. We have prepared a compact digital content complete with power point presentation for the educators to follow a uniform content and to cover all crucial aspects during the class,' said Muhammed Anvar, assistant conservator and State nodal officer for SARPA, Kerala Forest department. The content among other things cover the ecological significance of conserving snakes, different species of snakes, how to recognise dangerous species, different types of venom and anti-venom, how to avoid snake bite, do's and dont's in the event of bite etc. A safety audit for the possible presence of snakes was held under SARPA in educational institutions, including anganwadis, ahead of the start of the academic year and snakes were indeed caught from some places. 'We gave instructions to remove building materials found carelessly dumped providing safe haven for snakes near areas with frequent movement of students, clean up premises, including even parts of grounds, to protect children going to fetch balls, remove tree branches and plants hanging over school roofs, especially tiled ones, properly lock doors and windows, and keep the areas near computer labs clean since snakes could snuggle into footwear, which students are asked to remove before entering labs,' said Mr. Anvar. Apart from educational institutions, awareness classes are also held for other vulnerable target groups like workers participating in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Program, Kudumbashree members, farmers etc.
The Hindu
05-08-2025
- The Hindu
Tamil Nadu records 1,303 Nilgiri Tahrs in second synchronised survey
Tamil Nadu has recorded an estimated 1,303 Nilgiri Tahrs in the second annual synchronised population survey conducted in April 2025, done in collaboration with the Kerala Forest Department. The survey report was released on Tuesday by Forests Minister R.S. Rajakannappan, alongside Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary of the Departments of Environment, Climate Change, and Forests, Srinivas R. Reddy, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force), and Rakesh Kumar Dogra, Chief Wildlife Warden, and Yash Veer Bhatnagar, country representative (India) of International Union for Conservation of Nature, at the Guindy National Park. At the same event, the Kerala Forest Department also released its corresponding report on the Nilgiri Tahr population within its jurisdiction. Kerala's Minister for Forest and Wildlife Protection, A.K. Saseendran, and Pramod G. Krishnan, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden of Kerala, joined the launch virtually. This year's synchronised survey covered 177 blocks in Tamil Nadu — 36 more than in 2024. A total of 3,126 kilometres were covered on foot by 786 dedicated field staff. 'Tamil Nadu's estimated Nilgiri Tahr population has increased to 1,303, up from 1,031 recorded the previous year. This does not imply a population increase but rather a higher rate of observed encounters,' said M.G. Ganesan, Project Director of Project Nilgiri Tahr. Out of the total, 616 individuals — which makes up almost half of the population at 47.3 percent — were found in large, contiguous habitats across 14 blocks. The Grass Hills National Park and Mukurthi National Park are the primary strongholds, with Grass Hills recording 334 Tahrs (up from 276 in 2024) and Mukurthi showing 282 individuals (up from 203 last year). The remaining 687 Tahrs, comprising 53 percent of the population, were found in fragmented habitats spread across 163 blocks, including areas intersected by roads and tea estates. The survey also observed an estimated 155 Nilgiri Tahrs forming a transit population moving towards Kerala's Eravikulam National Park. Notably, this year's survey included a detailed threat assessment for the first time, which is set to provide insight into the conservation challenges faced by the species. Mr. Bhatnagar said that understanding movement ecology was extremely important. 'Ecology is not just about calculating home range sizes for males, females, or juveniles within a population. It involves understanding the actual routes animals take across a landscape — how they use different types of habitats, the seasonal patterns in their movement, and the environmental features that influence their paths. The survey was carried out with the support of IUCN, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS), Animal Welfare Board of India (AIWC), and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Time of India
Meet Dr. Roshini, Kerala only woman forest officer, who catches Kings Cobra, Pythons & Rat Snakes with bare hands
Roshni, a beat forest officer in Kerala, recently achieved a milestone. She rescued her first king cobra. Roshni is the only woman snake catcher in the Kerala Forest Department. She also earned a doctorate in social services. Roshni heads the Rapid Response Team. She has relocated about 800 snakes. Her work highlights the role of women in conservation. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Rare encounter with a king cobra Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Leading snake rescue efforts in the district Challenges and safety in snake rescue Mental strength and family support Roshni, a beat forest officer in Kerala for the past eight years, recently rescued her first king cobra, marking a significant moment in her wildlife rescue career. She is the only woman snake catcher in the Kerala Forest Department and part of the state's first batch of women forest rescue also comes at a time when Roshni has received a doctorate in social services from Global Human Peace University in Chennai, where she was awarded a gold medal for academic performance. She is a graduate in Botany and often posts updates from her professional and academic life on to The Indian Express, Roshni said, 'This is the first time I caught a king cobra. It had been my dream since I started as a certified snake rescuer in the department in 2019.' While king cobras have been handled by rescuers in other parts of Kerala, Roshni had not previously found one in Thiruvananthapuram.'While many snake catchers elsewhere in Kerala have rescued king cobras, I did not get such a chance in Thiruvananthapuram, where this species is rarely spotted,' she told The Indian currently heads the Rapid Response Team (RRT) at the Paruthippally forest range. Over her years in service, she has caught and relocated about 800 snakes—many of them venomous—from populated areas across the of the time, Roshni travels alone to attend to rescue calls. 'On most such occasions, there would be a snake in the trunk of the car or the storage of the scooter. I will be riding a scooter with a snake in the storage under the seat,' she said, as quoted by The Indian also does not use protective gear like gloves or gumboots when handling snakes, including venomous ones like the king cobra. 'It is risky to catch a king cobra mainly because of its length. When you catch the tail of a king cobra, its length enables it to swiftly turn against you and attack. To save itself, a king cobra can coil with its head and tail on a single point,' she what it takes to work in snake rescue, Roshni said, 'You need courage and presence of mind. Concentration is very important. We have to weigh our safety, the snake's safety, and that of the onlookers.''I enjoy catching snakes and have the support of my family. Many others have got trained over the years, but they might not have ventured into snake catching for want of support from family or courage,' she told The Indian work highlights the expanding role of women in frontline conservation efforts in Kerala. Her rescue efforts and academic journey reflect the importance of trained, courageous responders in managing human-wildlife interactions in the state.
