Comforting the fangs to drive out the dark

Kolkata, Oct 10 (UNI) Call him Nehebkau or Glykon, but for Tapas Pradhan snakes are a means of his unique battle against superstition. It was the Croc-hunter Steve Irwin, who in one of his shows in the Discovery, said snakes are the most beautiful creatures on earth he has ever seen. However, for most of us it would be a nightmare to wrap this cold blooded repitles around our body.

Things are but different for 34 year old Tapas Pradhan, who have shared a symbiotic relation with the snakes since last 27 years.

"I love these snakes and have been living with these creatures since my childhood," Pradhan said.

Pradhan, a diploma holder in electronic mechanics stays with his parents in Howrah district, has taken up his journey with the snakes as a social work.

He has a collection of hundred different species of snakes including deadly venomous rattle snakes, vipers, the yellow and black striped banded krait, cobras, the non-poinsonous glass snake and pythons.

He told UNI that he developed his love for these 'enigmatic' creatures when he was just seven years old and used to keep them in his house despite the strong protests of his family members.

He had been doing shows in various districts of West Bengal including West Midnapore, Malda, Purulia and many more with these snakes.

He remains surrounded with the snakes for hours in a closed transparent cubicle, as a part of his show and sometime kisses them on their head, rolls them around his neck, sleeps with them.

"Of course I do take a few precautions like wearing a mask and gloves during my live-together with the reptiles," he told UNI.

"I am not afraid of them. They are afraid of us. So we need to make them comfortable," Tapas said.

Being an active member of the West Bengal Science Forum that eradicates the blind-beliefs related to snakes, he takes up the yeoman's task of making people aware about snakes, their life, why they bite and the precautions to be taken in case of snake bite.

He also asks people to not to kill or be scared of the snakes as they are the timidest creatures on the earth and attacks only when disturbed or cornered.

With the support of the forum, he has created a habitat for these snakes in his home.

"People try to kill the snakes that have glided into their houses, I collect these snakes from them and keep them at my place," he said.

With a dash of dare-devilry and a bit of philanthropy in it, Tapas cures the wounded snakes and feeds them. He advices common people to love these creatures.

"I am in a mission to protect many of these endangered species but have not got any help from the government or the wildlife department," he laments.

Nehebkau was a benevolent snake god who the Egyptians believed was one of the original primeval gods. He was a god of protection who protected the pharaoh and all Egyptians, both in life and afterlife, while Glykon, snake god, was associated with the Greek prophet Alexander of Abonutichus.

In actions and ideology Tapas Pradhan looks like a living, walking talking snake god, who is not only tangible but is also one of their strongest advocators.

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