Due to the religious association of snakes with Lord Shiva, and particularly a certain festival – Nag Panchami – snake charmers (saperas) are seen in huge numbers near temples in northern India. The myths associated with snakes make the devotee an easy target for the saperas, who encourage them to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva through these snakes. The reptiles are boxed up in wicker baskets, defanged, and kept in horrible conditions.

Capturing these snakes has its own cost and it is the reptiles who pay with their lives. Their mouths are cruelly stitched by the snake charmers and they are starved for long periods. All this is done to consolidate the myth that if a snake drinks milk offered by a devotee, it would be a sign of good luck. However, people are unaware that the dehydrated snakes drink the milk in desperation. Unlike mammals, snakes do not have the natural ability to break down the milk enzyme since it is not their natural food, resulting in poisoning and a painful death.

All venomous snakes, particularly cobras, are brutally defanged with a blade and the venom glands are removed. These snakes receive their death warrant, making them incapable of surviving in the wild. This is contrary to the claims of the snake charmers that they are safely released back into the wild.

Wildlife SOS, in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department, has been working for years to tackle the issue of the poaching of snakes from the wild for the practice of snake charming.

Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS said, “It remains a challenge to bring the sapera community into mainstream society because they are undertaking an illegal and brutal practice. But we have generated awareness amongst snake charmers against the practice of snake charming and ensured rehabilitation by employing a few of them as professional snake rescuers.”

Baiju Raj MV, Director of Conservation Projects at Wildlife SOS, said, “Every year during the holy month of Shravan, Wildlife SOS, and the forest department carry out raids to seize snakes that are brutally tortured through cruel methods. This year we seized 49 spectacled cobras, one Indian rock python, and one Indian rat snake.”

Geeta Seshamani, Co-founder and Secretary of Wildlife SOS said, “Many people are oblivious to the fact that drinking milk is not natural to a snake, and a snake with its venom gland cut out cannot survive. Even when rescued, it is extremely difficult to save the reptiles. Hence, we want to prevent the poaching of wild snakes who are very important to ecosystems, and discourage people from entering the snake charming trade altogether.”