Between 2000 and 2020, over 1 million people lost their lives to snakebites in India. Snakebite is the most extensive neglected tropical disease and human wildlife conflict. While about a quarter of India’s snakes are venomous, four prominent species are responsible for majority of snakebite in India – Russel’s Viper, King Cobra, Common Krait and Indian Saw-Scaled Viper.
On Episode 11, I interview Gnaneswar Ch from the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and the Centre for Herpetology. We talk about the drivers of human snake conflict, challenges of tackling snakebite, myths about snakebites and research on snakebites. We also disucss the work being done by MCBT to tackle snakebite, including outreach and the use citizen science and technology. Lastly, we also talk about other threats faced by India’s snakes including habitat fragmentation, climate change and the illegal wildlife trade.
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