JU’s resident snake rescuers

When one becomes aware of the presence of snakes, colour drains from their face out of fear, while only the courageous few prepare for defense with sticks -- aiming for the kill.

However, a stark contrast can be noticed on Jahangirnagar University (JU) campus, where a group of youths are working towards the conservation of snakes. Along with other endangered wildlife, they are devoted to rescuing snakes and releasing them in favourable environments.

In 2016, they founded the voluntary organisation Deep Ecology and Snake Rescue Foundation (DESRF).

Md Mahfuzur Rahman, founder president of DESRF, and his team members recently shared their experiences with The Daily Star. They told the tale of one of their recent rescue drives to elaborate their process of work.

Mahfuz got a call from a stranger, who requested his assistance in saving a snake from the campus area.

The team rushed to the spot, which was adjacent to the university's playground and main entrance, with very little preparation. The snake was a highly venomous lesser black krait snake (Bungarus lividus), a species of the venomous elapid snake found in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal.

When Mahfuz's team reached the spot, however, the snake swiftly took shelter in a road-divider.

Later, they briefed JU's acting proctor ASM Firoz-ul-Hasan about the issue and contacted  wildlife specialist Prof Monirul Hasan Khan, chairperson of JU's zoology department, and Prof Kamrul Hasan of the same department about their drive.

Eventually, the snake was rescued and released with the forest department's permission. The team has conducted hundreds of drives like this, they said.

 "Currently, 528 volunteers from all over the country are working with the team via a Facebook private group, in which over 1.3 lakh members are present. Around 18 members, five of whom are female, directly participate in the rescue drives," said Mahfuz.

"We enrol them [volunteers] as rescuers following the execution of various stages of verification and training sessions."

"We believe that every animal has a right to live freely," said Syeda Ananya Faria, publicity secretary of the foundation and one of their first female snake rescuers.

Contacted, founding adviser and a trainer of DESRF Asif Adnan Azad said, "They [the students] are not only attempting to rescue snakes, but they're also trying to disseminate awareness about the animal among people."

Adnan said snakes play an important role in maintaining the ecosystem. They eat rats and serve as a companion to farmers. There are many misconceptions about them, and many people kill them out of ignorance.

The organisation is in the process of becoming registered, he said. So far, rescue operations have been carried out through financial assistance of members, including advisers. Presently, their focus is centred around increasing the number of volunteers.

Along with rescue work, they also raise their voice against issues like indiscriminate killing of wildlife across the country. Their services can be availed through the snake rescue hotline number: 01717-414518.