SAINATH SHIRODKAR
On a saving mission

Goa's forests being denuded the wild life seeks refuge in the village now, thus increasing the number of snake bite cases. Margao's Hospicio hospital registered 226 cases in 2000. The figure went up slightly to 235 last year. Recently the largest version of the Indian Rock python--4.15 metre-long--was caught in the backyard of a house in Cortalim. A python was also found last month in the historic Idalcao Palace--the Secretariat. Govind Gaonkar (27) of Gaondongrem died recently following a snake bite.

GOA'S Forest department has responded well to its twin duty of protecting the life of citizens from reptiles and wild animals, as well as protecting the wild life itself for the same of environment. For the department, 30-year-old Sainath Shirodkar from Khorlim in Mapusa, is the man on the spot, and its only snake catcher because skilled snake catchers don't come in dozens. Though there are quite a few volunteers in Goa they never answer the government ads for snake catching jobs.

So, it is soft-spoken Sainath all the way. Birds, wild cats, civet cats, monkeys, crocodiles, leopards and snakes, he has been catching for two years on the trot al over Goa. He has also dared to remove honey bees and honeycombs, from the GMC wards, and in Cuncolim, Betalbatim, Panjim, St Estevam and Pernem. Sainath believes that it is wrong to say: "Kill the animal before it kills us".

He began catching sorts of snakes right from the time he was in Std VII. Sainath says, "I used to stay at my uncle's at Borim in Shiroda, where while working in the fields, we used to always come into contact with various snakes. My grandfather, Ramnath Shirodkar, incidentally was known for herbal medicine for snake bites. He encouraged me to learn to identify the snakes and taught me the skill of catching them."

Sainath completed his commerce education at the VNS Bandekar College in Assagao but hasn't been able to put his commerce education to use. He says, "Since I love animals I started working with International Animal Rescue in Assagao as a volunteer for about two years ago. Subsequently, I was absorbed by the Forest Department as an animal housekeeper. W catch the snakes and if a snake is injured while catching we treat them, and later on release them in the forest or natural habitat."

He caught 700 snakes in 2000-1 and this year above 690, among them figure cobras, russel's vipers, saw-scaled vipers and common kraits, which are among the main categories of venomous reptiles. The russel's viper, of course, is seven times more poisonous than the cobra, he says.

Sainath has no faith in the quacks and snake catchers, who cheat the people by frightening them with all sorts of tall talk about dangerous snakes are. Sainath suggests that if a person is bitten by a snake and if it is not known whether it is a poisonous snake or not, the most ideal things to do in the eventuality is to rush to the Goa Medical College where prompt treatment is available for such cases.

His grandfather had told him that the snake never bites, unless it is harmed, and that the snake's memory being very small, it will not remember or follow anyone to take revenge, as is popularly believed. He was also taught that the snake cautions you with a hiss, if at all it has to attack as a last resort. He says that some locals earlier were giving effective herbal medicines, which heirs can't do. Moreover, science has progressed so much and anti-snake venoms is available now. Hence it is best to rush to the Goa Medical College for treatment without wasting time in case of a snake bite, and that too only one does not know whether the snake is poisonous or not.

Sainath is quite often involved in dare-delivery while at his duty. He caught a cobra on the roof of a house in Agassaim. He has experienced the bite of cobra once. But before being admitted to the GMC, he did the first aid himself, by tying the arm and removing the blood from the thumb. Hence when we reached the hospital the doctors there did not find any trace of venom in his blood, so much so that they thought that he was bitten by a non-poisonous snake.

"On July 25, I was called to catch a rhesus macaque (monkey) at Durbhat in Ponda. The rogue animal was creating havoc among the locals, killing pigs and attacking people, mostly women and school children, for nearly two months," he says.

"They were virtually on the verge of shooting it when they were told about our services. I had to attend the call. The monkey is a very aggressive, specially when a stranger goes in front of it. He came running at me, stood on his hind feet and it attacked me, all the while making ugly faces to frighten me. When I caught his right hand, it started struggling violently and turning itself like it does with a madari. When I tried to catch the other hand, he gave a ferocious bite to my left hand. I could not give up at that time, hence I caught him, pushed him on the floor, stood on him. Caught his neck with the left hand. Then the other Forest wardens came to my assistance." Sainath is being treated with anti-rabies injections because of the bite.

He knows well that danger lurks abundantly in his calling but his concern for animals, helps Sainath overcome fear and inconvenience. The snake calls come anytime, particularly at night. Beyond his formal duty hours from 9 am and ends at 5.30 pm, he offers voluntary service. He fears that if fails to attend the call, the people may kill the snake. "I feel that it is my duty to save a snake's life," he says.

On February 28, 2002, Sainath trapped a fully grown, about 6-year-old, leopard at INS Gomantak in Vasco da Gama. There were four animals, one male, one female and two cubs. "I set a big trap with a goat inside it. Finished the work around 6.30 pm, around 9.15 pm the leopard was caught it. It tried to catch the goat with its angry paws, but we managed to save the goat." He has caught at nearly 15 crocodiles, from 1 ft to 3 metres in length, in different parts of Goa…Marcel, Cumbarjua, Bicholim, Agassaim, St Estevam, Aldona-Quitula. While catching a crocodile, one should remain behind the tail, and never in its path. Of course, normally a crocodile is a docile animal.

JD

Contact: Range Forest Officer, Campal, Panjim, Goa. Tel: 228772.
Head Office, Junta House, Panjim, Goa. Tel: 229701
Residence: Mapusa, 265772.