Animal party

From the scorching heat of the concrete city jungle, entering a lush green surrounding is a great relief. It is the Katraj Sarp Udyan, which...

From the scorching heat of the concrete city jungle, entering a lush green surrounding is a great relief. It is the Katraj Sarp Udyan, which provides this much needed coolness. Snake park? Thoughts of those creepy, crawly creatures cover your mind. But all of them turn out to be a myth when you actually visit this well maintained spot and the not so hatred-worthy creatures.

Developed 14 years back, in 1984 this is not just a place which repeatedly reminds you of those acts of cruelty done to animals in captivity. It is an asylum as well, wherein more than ten calls a day are received from citizens informing the park authorities either about the pitiable condition of an animal or on spotting a snake which would scare anyone to death. But the animal orphanage is restricted to wild animals only. There are two majestic leopards named Bala and Aaina in the park which had been got four years back from the Valvan forests of Lonavala. Their care taker and keeper, Santosh Poddar who is a vet as well informs, quot;They were got here as cubs and I am with them since then. Till they were nine months old, they were kept in open with a fence not higher than three meters. I used to feed them and once they would finish their meals they would lick me as an expression of gratitude. They thus became familiar to me and that helped me train them. Now they take me not as a human but as one of theirspecies.quot;

Asking if these leopards have ever hurt him, he shows the scars on his body and recalling one such episode narrates, quot;About a month back Aaina was hurt by Bala in a fight. I asked for benzene to be applied on her wound but somebody got me iodine instead. Unknowingly I applied it and she howled in pain and in her rage scratched my back. In many such encounters I8217;ve been hurt. I8217;ve even sacrificed my caps and pouches as once it is taken away by either of them it is advisable not to irritate them by asking for it.quot;

Sheltering about 38-40 species of snakes this park has cobras, pythons, crates, boas, vipers, with the common crate being most poisonous. They are fed once a week and at the most twice a week on mice, rats, earthworms depending upon the kind of snake. Rabbits are not used as snake food here.quot;

If very hungry they eat up their smaller species. The grass snake dies if bitten by a cobra but the rat snake can even devour a cobra. Their prey, the hygienically high bred rats and mice are got from The Serum Institute of India8217;. Food from the wild would lead to contracting germsquot;, believes Shriram Shinde, the secretary of Indian Herpetological Society. He informs further, quot;They shed their skin regularly which has to be essentially shed.

Sometimes we have to physically help them remove their old skin. quot;These crawly creatures require small, dark places as a habitat like rat burrows, tree hollows, old house foundations, garbage dumps. Both poisonous and non poisonous ones can be seen here. The poison fangs are not extracted since poison acts as snake8217;s super saliva helping their digestion. Indeed, the animals are really taken care of. Also, boards informative as well as heart touching are displayed. A placard near a pile of stones reads: The stones in this gunny bag had been thrown on the snakes by the visitors, last fortnight. Please don8217;t throw stones at them.quot; A novel way, indeed !

The unclean water for crocodile, the dark owl sheds, the scanty water for tortoise are all explained on displayed boards. Also there is a pathway that leads to general instructions on avoiding snakes and bites. Finally the last point in the park puts you in a complex mingled with a feeling of guilt. It is a mirror which is being pointed as the snakes8217; enemy. You wonder. Various fables, reminding you that snakes don8217;t like their appearances cross your mind. But as you get closer it is discovered, MAN8217;. How true!

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Ultimately you get across the message the diligent and dedicated workers of the park are trying to convey, Save our snakes8217;.