Udupi: Catholic Sabha of Brahmavar Parish Organizes Live Reptile Demo
Suvarna Brahmavar
Daijiworld Media Network—Udupi (RD/CN)
Udupi, Aug 8: Catholic Sabha of Brahmavar parish unit organized an innovative programme at Swarna Bhavan, Brahmavar, on Sunday August 7, involving reptiles.
Reptile expert Gururaj Sanil held a live demonstration of various species on the occasion.
Sanil said that the people have blind belief in snakes, mainly due to lack of information on reptiles that maintain the ecological equilibrium.
“Cobras usually eat 5–6 rats in a week thereby reducing the rat menace and helping in curbing contagious diseases. People in Hubli, Dharwad, and Bijapur districts are killing snakes whenever they see one and owing to this the count of snakes is declining which gives rises to contagious diseases. About 22 species of snakes are found in Udupi district. The rise in diseases in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi district in recent times is mainly due to killing of snakes that turn towards urban areas as deforestation pushes them there with no alternative,” informed Gururaj.
Python’s Eating Habits
A python can hunt animals from a rat to a deer. There are no cases of pythons swallowing humans so far in India. It can survive for two years just on a single mega hunt.
First-aid
One has to fasten a strip of cloth a little above the snake bite within two to three minutes. It’s better to fasten it tighter if the hospital is far away and it would take long to reach there. One can prevent the venom spreading to vital organs by drinking of the urine by the victim himself. The rib of plantain leaves if smashed and diluted in water and given to the victim, can bring temporary relief.
Blind Belief
“‘Nagamandala’ religious celebrations were practiced as a folk art about 150 years ago in Tulunadu while in recent times, it has deviated from its original form. The practice has been in existence over generations due to illusion and blind beliefs. If a cobra is found in the vicinity of a house, even if it comes in search of food, one will think that some evil will occur and to keep it safe, people will offer various offerings,” said Sanil.
“A reptile will do no harm unless it’s provoked or disturbed and unnecessary fear of reptiles is not justified,” he added.
Catholic Sabha Brahmavar unit president Steven Lewis compered the programme. Anthony Barnes proposed the vote of thanks. Janet D’Souza expressed her opinion over the live demonstration.