First phase of Kerala forest dept’s snake catching training programme concludes

With monsoon season going on, the first phase of the special training programme on snake-catching has been concluded by the Kerala forest department. As many as 318 Forest department personnel, including 23 women, have been trained to catch snakes through the first phase of the programme.

Thiruvananthapuram: The first phase of the special training programme on snake-catching conducted by the forest department in Kerala has concluded.

It is the first of its kind where the training to catch snakes has been imparted officially by a state government in the country.

As many as 318 Forest department personnel, including 23 women, have been trained to catch snakes through the first phase of the programme.

This training programme has been designed by the State Government with special guidelines and norms in place.

The licensing of the snake-catchers would also be facilitated soon.

The training was conducted at 17 places in different districts of Kerala. The detailed sessions covered topics including snakes’ habitat, their food habits, identification techniques, safe handling and the necessary precautions if bitten accidentally.

In the next stage of the programme, those who are interested in snake-catching within the age of 21 and 65 would be imparted with the training.

The staff who excel and prove themselves after the first stage of training would be deputed as trainers in the second stage.

The forest department has also launched a mobile application named ‘Sarpa’ to ensure the safety of the people and conservation of the snakes.

The project aims to make sure that the process - of catching snakes from human-inhabited areas and safely releasing them in the wilds - is flawless and secure.