Raipur Forest Department Books Snake Charmer Following PETA India Complaint
For Immediate Release:
06 February 2023
Contact:
Hiraj Laljani; [email protected]
Sanskriti Bansore; [email protected]
Raipur – After receiving a complaint from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, Raipur forest department has registered a preliminary offence report (POR) against a snake charmer for illegal possession, exhibition, and use of a protected cobra. Cobras are protected under Part C of Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act (WPA), 1972, and capturing, possessing, or injuring them is a serious, non-bailable, punishable offence with a jail term of at least three years that may extend to seven years and a fine of at least Rs 25,000. Yet snakes are often captured in bags and kept in tiny boxes, their fangs are yanked out, and they are fed unsuitable food for the species, such as cows’ milk, to entertain people and feed into public superstitions.
The POR was registered by the Raipur forest department for the abovementioned offences under sections 39, 43, 44 (a), 50, and 58C of the WPA, 1972. The snake was confiscated by the forest department and sent to a wildlife conservation facility in Raipur for care and rehabilitation in a species-specific environment.
The photo of the snake and a copy of the POR can be available upon request.
“The best way to revere snakes is to leave them alone in their jungle homes. Using snakes in roadside shows is cruel, illegal, and disrespectful,” says PETA India Manager of Vegan Projects Dr Kiran Ahuja. “PETA India urges the public to report any capture and use of snakes to their local forest department.”
Snakes are trapped and taken from their natural habitats by snake charmers, disregarding the WPA, 1972. Before they are taken their teeth are often violently yanked out, their venom glands are emptied by painfully squeezing the muscles on their heads, and in many cases, their mouths are sewn shut, leaving a little gap to pour water or milk. And the “dance” that snakes perform is actually a fearful reaction to the charmer’s pipe, which the animals perceive as a threat. None of the captured snakes live very long, and death comes slowly and painfully.
Snakes are fascinating animals who can learn and communicate through body language. Pythons protect their young, while king Cobras make a nest for their eggs. Rather than exploring lush jungles and swamps and living life as they want to, captive snakes are typically relegated to small, dark boxes or tanks where they can’t even stretch out to full length.
PETA India – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment” – opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETAIndia.com or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
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