INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
While pulling up some roots, one of his workers had encountered a snake coiled among the plants
was submerged by the river after the monsoon rains
other snake.Formerly considered a critically endangered species, the viper became protected under the Wildlife (Conservation and Security)
But an apparent rise in numbers has panicked the public, leading to indiscriminate killing of snakes across the country, say
64 districts, says Prof Farid Ahsan, a researcher of the distinctive snake.Brother, are you a psycho? You can sleep with the snake
That annual figure has already been reached in 2024
presence but also because of exaggerated media reports and misinformation on social media.It has led to open season on snakes in the
country, including Burmese pythons, which are not venomous
only a 20% survival rate due to its mix of different types of venoms, and falsely stating this snake chases down people
out of fear that they cause death
python found coiled up in a tea plantation in Bangladesh
Photograph: Scott Trageser/NatureStillsBut speaking out against the indiscriminate killings has prompted a backlash
The snake had bitten a man who had caught it with his hands, mistaking it for a python
you a psycho? You can sleep with the snake, no problem
Samanta Lal Sen, has asked public hospitals to keep adequate stocks of the anti-venom and emphasised the need to get patients to hospitals
as fast as possible.Currently, the antidote is imported from India, where the species, named after the 18th-century Scottish herpetologist
locally produced anti-venom that is more effective is being developed
increase awareness among farmers
He suggests measures such as wearing rubber boots in crop fields, using torches at night and using sticks to create vibrations that scare
This means there is more food in our crop fields, which attracts more rodents and, in turn, attracts snakes that help control the rodent
This article first appeared/also appeared in theguardian.com
