J.Poonam Chand of Cuddalore is adept in tracking and capturing deadly snakes with the help of a self-made device.
CUDDALORE:
Snakes are scary reptiles whose very sight inspires terror in people. It is the instantaneous reaction of the humans to either run away or kill the snakes.
However, for J. Poonam Chand (41) of Cuddalore, who avidly espouses the cause of animal protection, catching the snakes has become almost an obsession for the past 12–13 years. He says he has attended hundreds of frantic calls from residents to clear their houses and farmlands of snakes as a social service. After the task was accomplished they felt much relieved and profusely thanked him. Even the personnel of the Forest and Fire Service Departments have nothing but praise for him and there have been occasions when Mr Poonam Chand coordinated with them to track the deadly reptiles. He also takes care of wounded cattle heads, stray dogs and hunted down birds like owls and eagles.
The officials of both the departments acknowledgeMr Poonam Chand's humanitarian concern not only for the fellow beings but also for all the living creatures. He is accessible (on cell phone 81486 10679) and attends calls even at midnight. He has an uncanny ability to track the elusive snakes from rooftops, crevices, burrows and bushes. He is familiar with the behaviour of snakes: for instance, when the Russel Viper assumes the zig-zag position, it is readying for attack; the cobra emits a hissing noise from the trachea to warn the assailant and then bares its fangs.
The snakes smell the scent of the prey by shooting out the split tongue and become alert even at the slightest vibration or movement, but they are short of listening ability, Mr Poonam Chand says. He has devised an indigenous tool, comprising the part of cycle handlebar with a break wire running through a PVC pipe operating the forceps at the tip for catching the snakes. He has a wide collection of at least 50 snakes in his house, including the Russel Viper, common krait, bronze back tree snake (komberi mookan), rat snake (saarai which has laid a dozen eggs recently), sand wood viper, black sand bow and so on.
He has been feeding the reptiles with rats. Mr Poonam Chand said that since he has been facing a logistics problem, he is not able to take the snakes to the reserve forests and let them out as required under the law. He is also deterred by the want of means of apprehensions about the wrath of the local people from taking any steps on his own to release the snakes. When contacted, District Forest Officer Duraisamy said that he would make proper arrangements for taking the snakes in Mr Poonam Chand's possession to the reserve forests.
Forest Department sources said that certain snakes, including the cobra, are listed as endangered species in Schedule I of the Wild Life Protection Act 1972 and as such, killing of those species would attract penalties. The snakes are categorised under Schedule 1 (rare but venomous), Schedule 2 (common and less venoumous) and Schedule 3 (non venomous and harmless).
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