Karnataka: Forest Department issues snake rescue guidelines

Bengaluru: Karnataka’s first operational manual for snake rescuers has been issued by the state Forest Department with an aim to tackle increasing incidents of human-snake conflicts and ensure that snakes are rescued in a prescribed scientific manner.

Only Kerala, Gujarat and Maharashtra have their own guidelines for snake rescue.

Noted herpetologist Romulus Whitaker and The Liana Trust founder-trustee Gerard Martin and Humane Society International/India senior manager Sumanth Bindumadhav drafted the ‘Effective Human-Snake Conflict Management and Mitigation-An Operation Manual for Certified Snake Rescuers’

Reportedly, there are five certified snake rescuers in Bengaluru, there are none in the rest of the state, even as over 100 rescuers are on the job.