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  Channel NewAsia 20 Mar 06
Tradition of snake-charming comes under threat from Indian animal rights activists
By Vaibhav Varma Channel NewsAsia's India Correspondent

Can poisonous snakes be man's best friends? For some villagers in eastern India, this has been the case for generations as they make a living as snake charmers. But animal rights activists are now threatening to put a stop to this tradition.

Residents of Padmakeshpur village in the rural Orissa state have earned themselves a rather unusual reputation. They've come to be known as a village of snake-charmers of king cobras, pythons, rat snakes, sand boas and many other species of snakes.

Some 300 of the 450 families there have passed down the tradition of snake charming through generations. A single performance complete with hypnotic music can last up to an hour. Most performances are in return for alms - and villagers say they've been doing it for as long as they can remember.

Pratap Das, Snake Charmer, said: "I learnt how to catch snakes from my father, and he learnt it from his father. The art has been passed down for hundreds of years. I'm not even sure when it started."

But all's not well with these charmers today. Wildlife activists say snake populations are dwindling and many rare species have virtually disappeared from the wild. The activists are advocating restrictions on the snake charmers.

Suresh Mohanty, Chief Wildlife Warden, Forest Department, Bhubhaneshwar, said: "These snake charmers are no doubt pursuing their livelihood, but they are also causing a lot of harm to these species of rare snakes - pythons, king cobras. We are basically entering into a dialogue with them. We are trying both ways - to find an alternate livelihood for them, and also to set up some facility for rehabilitating the snakes."

The charmers argue that they do not kill the snakes for their skins or for any other commercial purpose. The snakes are only used to entertain and this has been a tradition.

Mahendra, Snake Charmer, said: "The money that we earn is by begging. If the forest authorities stop us from capturing snakes, how will we feed our children. It is our profession, a way of life that has come down generations."

Protecting the snake population versus preserving a tradition that has lasted many generations. This is the root of the conflict between wildlife activists and villagers. With villagers depending heavily on snake charming to feed their families, wildlife officials cannot afford to tread too firmly, at least until villagers have an alternative livelihood. - CNA/ch
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