Members of the Wildlife Conservation Welfare Association staged a protest at Freedom Park on Tuesday.
Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: Snake rescuers in Karnataka struggle without government recognition or support, leaving them to work without basic facilities.
Rescuers have urged the state to issue ID cards to validate their work. They said that FIRs are often filed against them after rescues for possessing wild animals.
"Without valid ID cards, we are unable to prove ourselves as legitimate and professional rescuers," said Shivaraj alias Snake Shivu, a snake rescuer for 16 years in Mysuru.
"We are helping both wildlife and people and we get nothing in return… we are endangering our lives in the process, but people hardly pay us, and the government does not pay any attention to us,” he added.
Snake rescuers receive no equipment from the government.
"If we have to provide service to people for free, the government has to pay us something to at least cover our travel expenses," said Nazeer, a rescuer from Dharwad.
Rescuers complained that several viral videos of people performing stunts as snake handlers have made the government suspicious of everyone.
No insurance provider covers snake rescuers, citing the high-risk nature of their work. The government has not offered them any healthcare benefits either.
“If anybody in our profession is bitten by a snake, our only option is to ask people to donate money for treatment,” said Das, a snake rescuer in Bengaluru.
Snakebites kill some people, while others are left disabled for life.
Stressing the need for health insurance, the rescuers said that many in their community had died for want of better treatment, as only anti-venom injections are available at healthcare centers.
Tuesday's protest
Meanwhile, the rescuers held a protest at Freedom Park on Tuesday, urging the government to issue ID cards to validate their work.