Journalism of Courage
11-year-old Deepika Dubal and her 8-year-old brother Om have rescued 100 snakes till date and want to continue their efforts towards preserving our rich bio-diversity
Catching poisonous snakes is second nature to Appa Dubal and his children Deepika (11) and Om (8). Skilled at his art,Dubal has rescued and released almost 1000 snakes till date,while Deepika and Om have caught almost 100 snakes in the past one year or so. I love rescuing snakes and sending them to their natural habitat, says Deepika as Om repeats the same words.
We use a snake catching stick for poisonous snakes. For non-poisonous snakes,we sometimes use our bare hands, says she. These kids have never been bitten by a snake during the process of catching and rescuing them.
Deepika,who has entered the profession at such a young age,says they catch only three species of snakes – Cobra,Russels viper and Rat snakes which are found in Pune and adjoining districts. After rescuing the snakes,they leave them at the Katraj Zoo or in the wild after taking permission from the forest department. Ask if they ever feel nervous or scared,and Deepika very confidently says,I am not scared of snakes. I like snakes and want to help them by rescuing them and leaving them in the zoo or the forest.
Deepika is now quite fond of her skill and wants to pursue it as a profession. I want to grow up and become a professional snake catcher and also study more about snakes and reptiles and help the cause of the species. I also want to help in developing antidotes using snake venom, she outlines her aims. Even Om wants to follow in her footsteps.
Dubal stresses that snakes are harmless unless threatened. “Snakes may not be man’s best friends,but they are harmless if treated properly and not threatened or harmed,” he says. He feels terrible when snakes are killed because they accidentally come in people’s way. It’s a request not to treat them as your enemy,instead just call the nearest snake catcher,” he urges.
These snake lovers have shown their passion for the reptiles by dedicating their lives to the protection of snakes. Their efforts,they hope,will set an example towards saving our lands bio diversity.
