Students from different schools and the Zoology Department of Andhra University were exposed to different facets of biodiversity and importance of wildlife conservation, here on Saturday.
A documentary ‘Snake Rescue Call’ based on true story of wildlife conservationists who are engaged in solving human-snake conflict was screened by Eastern Ghats Wildlife Society, at the Bioscope – Zoo Education Centre at Indira Gandhi Zoological Park.
The film is based on the snake conservation work carried out by the Eastern Ghats Wildlife Society in collaboration with the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department and the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station in the western Ghats of Karnataka.
The 50-minute documentary showcases some stunning drone shots of amazing snake species found in and around Visakhapatnam and the king cobra conservation effort by the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station.
Speaking on the importance of conserving king cobras, Murthy Kantimahanti, Founder of Eastern Ghats Wildlife Society, said that king cobras are the largest venomous snakes in the world, and they are intelligent and timid snakes and afraid of human presence.
“King cobras feed on other venomous snakes such as kraits and vipers, who amount to about 50,000 human casualties in India alone. So it is necessary that they be conserved for our own good. But instead of taking things on their own hands, they should call professionals so that the snake can be handled well,” he said.
The film is about creating an awareness to conserve this specie, as saving them is a win-win situation for both, he said.
According to him, king cobras are rare but they inhabit north coast AP, and it is our duty to educated farmers and rural populace to safeguard them and call us for rescuing them.
We are also teaching locals to handle such snakes, he said.
IGZP Curator Yashoda Bai also spoke.
