Belthangady: Snakes are found at various places in the taluk. On seeing snakes like king cobra, India cobra or python, people either kill it or call a snake lover to capture it. By creating a snake park, snakes can be protected. Information about them can be imparted and thus it becomes possible for humans to co-exist with snakes.

There are close to 75 species of snakes in the district. Only 5 species out of them are poisonous. Importantly there is no centre to give treatment to injured snakes. On establishing a snake park with protection centre, it will be easy to provide treatment to injured snake. Also it will be useful in protecting endangered species and snakes identified as poisonous. It will be possible to directly inform the people.

A few days back, herpetologist ‘Snake Jai’ protected a 13-foot-long king cobra that got stuck in a barbed wire near Ayilahadime road and let it out into Charmadi forest. Such incidents take place throughout the taluk. Since there is a dense forest in Charmadi, it is a perfect place for snakes to exist.

Snakes are usually seen in Karavali. It comes in search of a place to hide. King cobra prefers to reside at a place which is cool. Since there is drip irrigation at Arecanut farms, there exists a cool environment that it finds safe enough to take residence at, explains snake lover Jai.

In Belthangady taluk, till date, close to 400 king cobras have been caught. He has caught 172, his associate Ashok has caught more that a 100 and those caught at other places bring the total to 400 king cobras which have been safely released. But, nowhere has it caused any trouble to the people, says Jai.

Snakes help in maintaining the balance in nature. People generally give a call when there is a python, king cobra or Indian cobra. But, care should be taken to protect other species of snakes. If snakes are destroyed, the possibility of imbalance in the natural cycle will increase.