DNA | Jul 25, 2009 | THANE | Page 5
NGO appeals to the public to save serpents from harassment
In a bid to protect the animals from harassment and trafficking on the occasion of Nag Panchami (July 26), the animal lovers from the Plants and Animals Welfare Society (Paws) in Thane have decided to keep an eye on the snake charmers. They have also appealed to Thanekars to avoid indulging in superstition which may be harmful to the snakes.
Sunish Subramanian, founder, Plants and Animals Welfare Society (Paws), who will lead the drive, said, “The idea behind the tradition of worshipping snakes on Nag Panchami day was to spread the message of preserving the serpent. But, sadly without understanding the meaning, people feed milk to the snake.”
Owing to the superstitious belief, thousands of cobras, rat snakes, pythons and boars are trapped and brought to the city. The snakes, mostly cobras, are even kept hungry and thirsty for days before Mahashivratri and Nag Panchami.
A few years back, close to 10,000 snakes died every year. But the efforts of animal lovers have brought down the mortality rate by 50%.
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