A promising snake conservation and research centre Bangladesh is facing closure threats, thanks to the gratuitous intervention of some forest department officials.
Located in Rajshahi district, the snake conservation centre is the first of its kind in Bangladesh.
Crawling with hundreds of the reptiles, the centre draws big crowds everyday, including university and college teachers, students and researchers.
Rumon, the caretaker who is also a management student, claims he has made a breakthrough in captive breeding of cobras, which is a first ever successful experiment in Bangladesh. He is trying to breed other species of snakes as well.
“My aim is to establish a full-fledged snake rescue, rehabilitation, conservation and research centre there so that our generation can learn about snakes, their importance, significance and place in nature.”
Initially, Rumon started the centre as a hobby with 50 reptilian members and named it ‘Cobra Friends Club’. The centre gradually grew and he turned it into a non-profit
organisation.
He says he had no idea about the necessity of government permission for running a snake farm especially to save the reptiles from human cruelty. And he wants the government to take over the farm and develop it further.
The forest officials, who had no idea about the farm until they read about its popularity in a local newspaper, went over and seized 85 venomous snakes and slapped a case on Rumon under the wildlife preservation act
Rabiul Islam, range officer in the department of forestry in Rajshahi, who filed a case said: “The wildlife preservation act prohibits catching and molesting of any wild animals and by constructing a snake farm, Rumon has violated the Act.”
The seized snakes included 77 cobras, seven rat-snakes and one flying snake.
The officials also suspected cross-border trafficking in snakes since the area has no use for such a snake farm.
But an undeterred Rumon says his ultimate aim is to build a snake park as well as a research centre there because no other safari parks would want to rear snakes. And he would even give away his farm to the government if it is turned into proper snake farm.
Police officials, magistrates, teachers and government officials — those who have visited the farm — have only words of encouragement and promised him all help.
Rumon now houses his snake farm in a tin-shed where the 85 seized snakes were kept in several concrete nests buried into the floor.
In April, Rumon was able to hatch 455 baby cobras on his farm from 470 eggs that the snakes laid. He released most the baby cobras in jungles.
It costs him $285 a month to run the farm and the money comes from his other businesses.
The snakes were fed chickens, lizards and meat. Local children used to collect lizards for 10 taka apiece, the snake man says.
Rumon has donated a number of his snakes for
research.
Sarker Shams Bin Sharif, a student of Rajshahi University who visits the snake farm, said Rumon used to teach people of his locality and university and college students about the importance of snakes in nature and human lives.
“Even a special team trained by him helps snake-bitten people in district hospitals,” Sarker says.
A few years ago, in Paba sub-district alone, 10-12 people died every month of snake bites. Today, thanks to Rumon’s work in this area and the special team he has helped to build up in the district medical college, the number has come down to just one or two deaths.
“Snakes are your friends. A farmer has to thank snakes for his cultivation because without them the population of rats would have multiplied and destroyed his crops,” he says.