International Women’s Day: Meet a few certified women snake rescuers from Kerala

Anusree Babu catches the cobra by the tail with her left hand. As the snake writhes in a bid to escape her grip, she lifts it with the curved end of the stick she holds in her right hand, and takes it near a cloth bag with a pipe inside. The reptile mistakes it for a burrow and immediately slithers in. As she closes the bag, the crowd breaks into applause.

It is a normal day at work for Anusree, a certified woman snake rescuer from Kozhikode. She is among the 140-odd women snake rescuers trained by the app, SARPA (Snake Awareness Rescue and Protection App), an initiative of the Department of Forests, Government of Kerala, which focusses on ‘reptile conservation while ensuring human safety’.

Roshni GS, beat forest officer, Rapid Response Team, Department of Forests, Government of Kerala, at work
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Since its launch in 2020, over 3400 people have taken the licence of which 1500 are active. “This include officers from the Department, especially the Rapid Response Team (RRT), and people from different walks of life. Among the latter are teachers, students, daily wage labourers, taxi drivers, businessmen, lawyers, scientists, researchers etc. Although a male-dominated field, the number of women volunteers is increasing,” says Muhammed Anvar, State Nodal Officer, SARPA, and Assistant Conservator, Biodiversity Cell.

Anyone aged between 18 and 65 can undergo training by registering in SARPA. “Even after the training, they require mentoring before they go solo. This is a high risk activity and so they accompany experienced handlers initially before becoming independent,” Anvar adds.

SARPA was launched with the aim of zero deaths due to snake bites. The State is home to 132 snake varieties, which fall into highly venomous, venomous and non-venomous categories. Since its launch, over 72,000 snakes have been rescued through SARPA, he adds.

Anusree Babu rescuing a cobra
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A face for snake rescue these days is Roshni GS, beat forest officer with the RRT, Paruthipally, Thiruvananthapuram, thanks to the videos she posts on her social media account every day. The 39-year-old, recently awarded with the Sthree Shakthi Award 2025 by Kerala Women’s Commission, grabbed eyeballs last year with the video of how she rescued a 15-foot King Cobra. Among the millions who appreciated her was cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, chairman of Mahindra Group Anand Mahindra, writer-politician Shashi Tharoor, and several celebrities. “I am the first woman in my department to undergo scientific training in snake rescue. When I joined the force in 2019, reptile rescue training was not mandatory unlike now. But when an opportunity came my way I didn’t let it go. I have rescued over a 1,000 snakes till date. Since I am in the RRT, we rescue other wild animals also — elephant, Indian bison, tiger, bear, peacock, deer, porcupine, monkey, civet and more,” she says.

Roshni GS
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While the King Cobra is rarely found in the open, the commonly-seen varieties are cobra, Russell’s viper, sand boa, wolf snake, krait, trinket, rat snake etc.

The senior-most among the volunteers is Vidya Raju, a former primary school teacher and homemaker, based in Kochi. Vidya, who has her roots in Bihar and married to Commodore NVS Raju (retired) in the Indian Navy, recalls that she developed the interest when her husband was posted at INS Mandovi, Goa, in early 2000. “I was into bird watching and one member of the group used to rescue reptiles. Watching him in action inspired me to take it up. I learnt the method and started rescuing snakes even after we moved from Goa to other units of the Navy. Kerala became home in 2004 and I continued to do it whenever the need arose. It was after I registered in SARPA in 2020 that I realised that I was not following the scientific method till then. SARPA ensures the safety of the rescuer and the reptile,” says Vidya. She has rescued over 450 snakes after getting the licence, in addition to the same number she rescued before that.

Savitha Sudhi rescuing a snake
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In the case of Savitha Sudhi from Alappuzha, she responds to the calls in the midst of fulfilling her responsibilities as a three-time member of Chunakkara panchayat. She is the first woman from the district to get the licence. “Being a panchayat member I am often called to locations where there are snake sightings. That is why when SARPA training was announced, I decided to attend. Also, it was open to everybody. However, I didn’t expect to get the licence since I was quite apprehensive about whether I will be able to successfully guide the snake into the cloth bag at the end of the training,” she says.

Anusree Babu
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Coming back to Anusree, she has had a special connect with snakes since childhood, having lived close to sacred groves. “Snake sightings were common, even inside my house. Once my mother accidentally stepped on a baby cobra at night. While my parents got scared, I took a coconut shell ladle and guided it into a glass bottle. That was my first snake rescue, at the age of 10. That aptitude remained during my growing up years. But I never went for a rescue outside of my home until I got the licence.”

What led to it was her association with the Fire and Rescue office at Vellimadukunnu in the district as a civil defence volunteer. “Fellow officers knew I rescued snakes and they suggested I should attend SARPA training.” Her rescue count is 945 and counting.

The job entails more than being brave, the rescuers point out. “You should really love it and be aware of the risks,” Roshni says, adding, “Many women in my department who have taken the licence are no longer active because of professional and personal commitments. One should be ready to respond to a call at any time of the day. I am obsessed with this job to such an extent that at times it becomes more important than my family. I enjoy taking up assignments at night!”

Savitha Sudhi
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The rescuers are advised to wear boots and pants/track pants and T-shirts while at work. “Avoid dupattas if you are wearing salwar-kurta. Saris are a strict no-no. It is better not to wear bangles or bracelets because the snake might hold on to it with its tail while trying to escape,” Savitha points out.

The rescuers unanimously say that SARPA has brought about a significant change in people’s mindset towards snakes. “The innate fear not withstanding, they do not beat them to death. They inform us immediately, even if it is a rat snake, which is non-venomous,” says Vidya.

While cobra is the commonly-seen species, vipers are dangerous because they can strike in any direction at break-neck speed. Pythons are heavy, especially after a heavy meal. “When we catch it by the tail, it vomits the food so that it can escape. Rat snakes, though non-venomous, bite you, which can be extremely painful,” Roshni says. And during the mating season, you might end up finding more than one snake by the time you reach the location.

A snake cannot be rescued always as sometimes it will be sitting in positions non-accessible for the rescuer, like the small gaps between the bricks of a wall or floor tiles. It is impractical to pull down an entire structure to take the reptile out.

Vidya says that she gets a lot of calls to rescue snakes stuck in fishing nets, pythons especially. Cutting open the net and taking them out is difficult; it can be quite dangerous too, she says.

All the women point out that a woman snake rescuer piques people’s curiosity. “But they are respectful too. I don’t agree to pose for photographs with the snake though,” Vidya says.

According to Anusree, some people prefer a female rescuer over a male. “Especially in households where there are only women. They find it comfortable to have a woman around.” Savitha mentions that these days women come up to her to learn how she rescues and are eager to accompany her when a rescue call comes.

Roshni is elated that those who called her videos gross now look forward for them. “I started doing it to alleviate fear of snakes, keep people’s interest in them and make them understand how important they are in our food chain,” she says.

Some of these rescuers, including Vidya and Anusree, are educators associated with Sarpa Padam, a snake-related awareness programme of SARPA under which classes are held in educational institutions. The Department has a 70-member team to take the classes via a standardised power-point presentation. Classes are conducted for vulnerable sections such as those working under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme, farmers etc, who are prone to snake bites.

Vidya Raju rescuing a snake
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“The role of snakes in the ecological system, laws related to snakes, identifying snake varieties, precautions to keep away snakes, how to deal with snake bites, breaking myths associated with snakes etc are dealt with at the sessions,” says Vidya.

The family’s support means a lot for these rescuers. “They are extremely pleased about what I do; my grandson is quite excited my work,” Vidya adds. While Anusree has inspired many to take the training, including her 18-year-old daughter, Punnyakeerthi M, Savitha has the company of her husband, Sudhi R, and his cousin, Harilal.

“We are in it knowing the danger involved. This is a service and although there have been requests for an insurance scheme nothing has come out of it,” Anusree says.

There is a sense of pride among these women about what they do. “I am happy to be able to do something for the society in this life time,” Vidya says.

Download SARPA and in case of snake sightings, contact the respective numbers in each district on the app.

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