KATHMANDU, JUL 01 -
Conservationists have underlined the importance of conserving snakes, which play an important role in maintaining ecological balance but are often killed on sight due to ignorance and fear among the public.
Karan Bahadur Shah, senior herpetologist, said there has been an increase in the number of indiscriminate snake killings, mainly due to fear and superstition, negatively impacting snake conservation efforts. Other reasons for the dwindling number of snake species is the overexploitation by tribal people for food and medicine, illegal collection by snake charmers and for export.
“A long-term conservation strategy is urgently needed in order to curb these activities,” said Shah.
“Snakes must be protected due to their scarcity, economic importance, scientific values and religious sentiments,” he said. Both formal and informal education throughout the country is necessary so that people realise and appreciate the importance of snakes as a natural resource,” Shah added.
Snakes represent a significant natural resource in an agricultural country like ours, as rodents, which compete with humans for food and carry potentially lethal diseases, comprise the bulk of the diet of many Nepalese snakes, experts say.
Though the population of snakes and their diversity in Nepal is believed to be exceptionally rich, only 79 species of snakes have been recorded in the country so far. They range from the smallest blind snakes to the largest python, stated a recent study ‘Status, Distribution and Conservation of the Snakes in Nepal’ conducted by Shah with Fanindra Raj Kharel and Barna Bahadur Thapa.
Most people in the country are unable to distinguish between venomous and non-venomous snakes and assume that any snake they encounter is deadly poisonous, said Kharel. However, out of a total of 79 species, only 19 are poisonous.
According to the study, poisonous snakebites among humans and livestock are a serious problem in most South Asian and Southeast Asian countries. In Nepal, cases of snakebites are reported throughout the country. Around 10,000 snakebite cases are reported annually in Nepal and at least 200 people die due to wrong treatment, late arrival of victims at the hospital and due to superstitious beliefs. Snakebite casualties in Nepal can be minimised through precautionary measures and appropriate treatment, said Shah. Access to the Anti-snake Venom Serum can greatly minimise snakebite-related deaths.
The National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1973 provides full protection to only two snake subspecies namely the Asiatic rock python (Python molurus molurus) and the Burmese rock python (Python molurus bivittatus). However, according to experts, there had not been any amendment made to include more species on the list till 2010. Some of the species recommended for inclusion on the protection list are the King cobra, Russell’s viper, Monocled cobra, Asiatic rat snake and the Red sand boa.
Source: http://www.ekantipur.com/2012/07/01/capital/experts-call-for-snake-conservation/356413/
0 comments:
Post a Comment