Living with snakes to prove a point

Kolkata, Oct 10 (UNI) Most people would balk at the thought of coming close to a snake, let alone touching it, but Tapas Pradhan has been sharing a symbiotic relation with the reptiles for the past 27 years.

"I love these snakes and have been living with these creatures since my childhood," Pradhan, 34, says.

A diploma holder in electronic mechanics, he is staying with his parents in Howrah district and says he views his association with 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 and cobras besides the non-poisonous grass snakes 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 strong protests of his family members.

He has been conducting shows in various districts of West Bengal including West Midnapore, Malda and Purulia.

He remains surrounded by 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 and goes off to sleep in the enclosure.

"Of course I do take a few precautions like wearing a mask and gloves during my living together with the reptiles," he says.

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

Being an active member of the West Bengal Science Forum that aims at eradicating the blind-beliefs related to snakes, he has taken up the 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 not to kill or be scared of the snakes as they are among the most timid creatures and attack 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 glide into their houses, I collect these from them and keep at my place,'' he said. Tapas also nurses wounded snakes and feeds them.

"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.

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