Bengaluru's snake whisperers: Scaling serpent awareness

Reptile Revolution

On the outskirts of Bengaluru, Sandeep Nanu and Chayant Gonsalves are balancing their work and passion as they strive to create awareness of snakes among the public. They have a keen knowledge of cold-blooded beings and strive daily to impart it to the residents of GoodEarth Malhar, an eco-village in Kengeri. 

Nanu, 44, is a brand and communications consultant and operates his firm, Write Click. “I was terrified of snakes like most people growing up,” Nanu said.

Nanu met Gonsalves in 2018. “We had a Russell’s Viper in our backyard. I was mesmerised by the way Chayant handled himself around it. He was so calm and flawless. I began interacting with him and going with him to document the snakes, especially the Spectacled Cobras.”

Gonsalves, 31, is a trained wildlife biologist and works as a freelancer. His interest in snakes peaked early in his life.  “My main aim has been to communicate to the public about the wildlife around us and introduce them to other living organisms they share their living spaces with,” Gonsalves said.    

‘Awareness is more now’

As soon as Nanu or Gonsalves, among a few others – some beginners, some experienced – get a call of a snake sighting, they either go solo or together, with their gear and help the caller identify the reptile, inform them of its characteristics and, if needed, help release it nearby. “We are lucky that our community has been supportive,” Gonsalves said.

“A few years ago, I got a call that there was a cobra. The first time the family saw it – they have a young child – they were terrified. Since cobras have unique patterns, we found that it was the same one that was returning to the spot due to an abundance of toads. A few times after the family saw it hunting the toads, they told me, ‘Don’t relocate it, we want it to move around naturally’. It is a great example of a mindset shift and it happened in three months.’’

A few times a year, they also hold an awareness session with the community on snakes, their role in the environment, how to identify them and things to do during a sighting or in case of a bite. 

In case of a snake bite...

Gonsalves said immobilising the bite region and removing constricting clothing and jewellery are the immediate steps to be taken and then head to a hospital. “If you can be in the hospital within the first hour, you would be good. The window would vary from person to person based on their medical condition and age and other factors,” he said. “We may have great medical infrastructures in larger cities, but most of the bites occur on the outskirts or in rural areas. This is where the focus should be in terms of medical infrastructure and creating awareness.”