snake charmers
Snake-charmers beware on Nagpanchami: wildlife activists
MUMBAI, Aug 17/2004:
Wildlife activists and snake-rescue groups will fan out in this island city and neighbouring Thane to apprehend snake-charmers, who converge here with snakes on the occasion of Nagpanchami festival which falls on Friday.
Organisations like Animal Welfare Board of India and NGOs like Karuna and People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) besides the Bombay Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) will send teams to suburban railway stations, bus depots and neighbouring areas with temples of Lord Shiva, to nab the snake-charmers.
The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, forbids catching of snakes and keeping snakes in capitivity in India.
In fact, during the Nagpanchami festival last year, around 120 snakes were rescued by activists and later released in the Ssanjay Gandhi National Park, which is spread over 100 sq km in the Mumbai suburbs and neighbouring thane.
A member of the Animal Welfare Board, Bhavin Ghatani said that most of the snake-charmers come here from neighbouring Gujarat and Rajasthan. They display snakes here and collect alms from devotees.
"But the snakes are treated in an extremely brutal manner," he points out.
Peta camgaign coordinator Dilpreet Beasley said snakes are captured in suffocating bags, are starved, have their teeth violently yanked out, many have their mouth painfully sewn shut and are brought to the cities.
The snake’s venum duct is often pierced with a hot needle, causing the snake’s gland to burst. Some snakes go blind because "Tikka (vermilion)" is applied on their hood during "pooja (prayers)", which trickles into their eyes.
Bombay SPCA’s hospital manager Dr Ashish Sutar said a meeting of various NGOs and other environmental bodies was held on Sunday here, wherein the strategy was chalked out to get hold of the snake-charmers and then hand over to the police.
Mr Ghatani pointed out that a special check will be maintained by teams over the railway overbridges in the city where most of these snake-charmers sit and display the snakes and get alms from devotees. Some of the temples where checks would be maintained are Babulnath in south Mumbai, Jeevdani in Virar, Tungareshwar in Vasai and other temples in the Mumbai city.
Ms Beasley said it is believed that feeding milk to snakes brings good fortune to the devotee, but these snakes suffer terribly and unsually meet an early death. Because they are starved and kept thirsty, the snakes consume the milk offered to them. "Nothing could be further from their natural diet. Milk causes severe dehydration and allergic reactions, and often dysentry, in the snakes. Most die as a result. The snake’s skin is sold and made into leather purses or belts. Some captured snakes are sold to hospitals and colleges for dissection or for miserable lifetime cramped in a dark box only to be taken out for venom milking," she told UNI here.
Another misconception is that snakes sway to music. However, snakes are deaf, and actually spread their hoods and sway in tandem to the movements of the snake-charmer in an effort to defend themselves, an action which causes them exhaustion and terror.
Issac Kehimkar, a senior official of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), said a few years ago the BNHS took the lead in combatting the menace of snake-charmers and today there are several bodies which are doing a wonderful job.
Mr Ghatani pointed out that they have also started some helplines where people can complain about snake-charmers, if they see them. The helplines are: 28761313, 28763856 and 98203-19842.
PETA has appealed to the people that if they see a snake-charmer,in way is to boycott them and encourage people to worship clay idols instead. (UNI)
MUMBAI, Aug 17/2004:
Wildlife activists and snake-rescue groups will fan out in this island city and neighbouring Thane to apprehend snake-charmers, who converge here with snakes on the occasion of Nagpanchami festival which falls on Friday.
Organisations like Animal Welfare Board of India and NGOs like Karuna and People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) besides the Bombay Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) will send teams to suburban railway stations, bus depots and neighbouring areas with temples of Lord Shiva, to nab the snake-charmers.
The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, forbids catching of snakes and keeping snakes in capitivity in India.
In fact, during the Nagpanchami festival last year, around 120 snakes were rescued by activists and later released in the Ssanjay Gandhi National Park, which is spread over 100 sq km in the Mumbai suburbs and neighbouring thane.
A member of the Animal Welfare Board, Bhavin Ghatani said that most of the snake-charmers come here from neighbouring Gujarat and Rajasthan. They display snakes here and collect alms from devotees.
"But the snakes are treated in an extremely brutal manner," he points out.
Peta camgaign coordinator Dilpreet Beasley said snakes are captured in suffocating bags, are starved, have their teeth violently yanked out, many have their mouth painfully sewn shut and are brought to the cities.
The snake’s venum duct is often pierced with a hot needle, causing the snake’s gland to burst. Some snakes go blind because "Tikka (vermilion)" is applied on their hood during "pooja (prayers)", which trickles into their eyes.
Bombay SPCA’s hospital manager Dr Ashish Sutar said a meeting of various NGOs and other environmental bodies was held on Sunday here, wherein the strategy was chalked out to get hold of the snake-charmers and then hand over to the police.
Mr Ghatani pointed out that a special check will be maintained by teams over the railway overbridges in the city where most of these snake-charmers sit and display the snakes and get alms from devotees. Some of the temples where checks would be maintained are Babulnath in south Mumbai, Jeevdani in Virar, Tungareshwar in Vasai and other temples in the Mumbai city.
Ms Beasley said it is believed that feeding milk to snakes brings good fortune to the devotee, but these snakes suffer terribly and unsually meet an early death. Because they are starved and kept thirsty, the snakes consume the milk offered to them. "Nothing could be further from their natural diet. Milk causes severe dehydration and allergic reactions, and often dysentry, in the snakes. Most die as a result. The snake’s skin is sold and made into leather purses or belts. Some captured snakes are sold to hospitals and colleges for dissection or for miserable lifetime cramped in a dark box only to be taken out for venom milking," she told UNI here.
Another misconception is that snakes sway to music. However, snakes are deaf, and actually spread their hoods and sway in tandem to the movements of the snake-charmer in an effort to defend themselves, an action which causes them exhaustion and terror.
Issac Kehimkar, a senior official of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), said a few years ago the BNHS took the lead in combatting the menace of snake-charmers and today there are several bodies which are doing a wonderful job.
Mr Ghatani pointed out that they have also started some helplines where people can complain about snake-charmers, if they see them. The helplines are: 28761313, 28763856 and 98203-19842.
PETA has appealed to the people that if they see a snake-charmer,in way is to boycott them and encourage people to worship clay idols instead. (UNI)
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