Snakebite Deaths in Odisha’s Angul Fell From 100+ to Double Digits. This Rescuer Is Changing How People Respond to Snakes

Angul’s response changed when Biplab Mahapatra realised that rescuing individual snakes could not solve the larger problem. Families still feared snakes, often could not identify venomous species, and sometimes killed them. The organisation therefore added education to rescue work.

Its Save Snakes, Save Humans programme reached schools, colleges, and villages. It taught snake identification, safer responses, and snakebite first aid. Trained rescuers also handled calls instead of leaving frightened residents to confront snakes themselves. Better knowledge can reduce panic, unnecessary killing, and dangerous delays after bites.

The supplied excerpt links this broader approach to Angul’s public-health challenge but does not state the exact cause of deaths falling from more than 100 annually to double digits. It also does not provide the dates or data behind that figure. The wider lesson is that rescue, education, and timely medical care must work together.

A trained snake rescuer responds calmly when a snake enters a home or village. The goal is to protect people without unnecessarily harming the animal. This matters because frightened residents may not know whether a snake is dangerous and may try to kill it.

The rescuer first keeps a safe distance and identifies the snake. The team then uses equipment such as hooks, bags, and protective gear to guide and secure it. Once contained, the snake is not simply abandoned nearby. The rescuers coordinate with the Forest Department and arrange release in a suitable forested area.

Rangers combines this practical work with public education. Biplab’s programme teaches people how to identify snakes, respond to encounters, and understand snakebite first aid. The supplied excerpt does not describe every rescue technique, so people should not imitate trained handlers. They should keep away and call an authorised rescue service.

Rangers has built a substantial volunteer response in Angul. The article states that the organisation has around 50 volunteers there, with more than 30 active. This gives residents a local network for responding to snake calls instead of confronting snakes themselves.

The volunteers support more than physical rescues. They identify snakes, use hooks and bags, educate communities, and help connect releases with the Forest Department. Biplab also trains volunteers and takes awareness work to schools, colleges, and villages. The mechanism is local knowledge backed by organised response.

The excerpt establishes Rangers’ presence in Angul but ends before explaining the full geographic reach of its rescue network. It therefore cannot support a precise statewide or national figure. What it does show is a model that could extend through trained volunteers, public education, and coordination with official forest authorities.

People often fear snakes because they cannot tell whether a particular species is dangerous. That uncertainty can make every encounter seem like an immediate threat. Accurate identification changes the decision. A harmless snake may be left alone or safely removed, while a potentially venomous snake demands greater distance and urgent medical attention after any suspected bite.

Biplab’s awareness programme teaches people how to identify snakes and respond to encounters. This addresses the misinformation he has heard, including claims that snakes drink milk or seek revenge. The key mechanism is knowledge: it reduces panic, discourages killing, and helps people choose safer actions.

Identification is not an invitation for untrained people to approach a snake. The supplied article does not provide a species guide or promise that residents can identify every snake correctly. People should keep away and contact trained rescuers. If a bite is suspected, medical care should take priority over trying to identify the snake closely.

A suspected snakebite is a medical emergency. Keep the person calm and as still as possible, immobilise the affected limb, remove tight jewellery or clothing, and arrange immediate transport to a hospital. If safe, remember the snake’s appearance from a distance, but do not chase or handle it. Rapid professional care matters because venom effects can progress.

Cutting the wound, sucking out venom, applying ice, burning the area, or using herbal and other unproven remedies can damage tissue or delay effective treatment. A tight tourniquet can restrict blood flow and cause additional injury. Do not give alcohol or force food and drink. These first-aid details are established medical guidance, not procedures described in the supplied excerpt.

The article states that Biplab’s programme teaches snakebite first aid, but the excerpt does not list the steps. Local emergency instructions should be followed. Antivenom and monitoring must be provided by medical professionals, not rescuers or bystanders.

Snakebites become a major public-health problem when people and snakes regularly share spaces, while accurate information and rapid medical care are limited. Rural residents may be far from hospitals, may not recognise danger, or may rely on myths. Biplab also says many cases are not properly reported, so the real burden can be underestimated.

Antivenom is made from antibodies that bind venom toxins and stop them from damaging the body. In hospital, clinicians choose and administer it according to the suspected venom and the patient’s symptoms. It cannot reverse every injury instantly, so monitoring and supportive treatment remain important. This medical explanation comes from established knowledge, not the supplied excerpt.

Biplab’s response combines awareness with rescue. His programme teaches snake identification, safer encounters, and snakebite first aid. The article presents knowledge as a way to reduce fear and improve decisions, while formal medical services remain essential for treating serious envenoming.

Snakes encounter people when human homes, villages, fields, and forested areas overlap with animal habitat. The supplied article does not list specific reasons, such as prey or shelter, so those details should not be attributed to it. It does show that snake calls arise around homes and villages in Angul.

Human-wildlife conflict makes encounters dangerous because residents may see an unfamiliar snake as a threat. Biplab noticed that elephants, crocodiles, and other animals received attention, while snakes received less. Without knowledge or trained help, people may try to kill the snake. Rescuers instead identify, secure, and relocate it safely.

This conflict harms both sides. People face possible bites and fear, while snakes may be killed unnecessarily. Rangers responds through rescue, volunteer training, and awareness sessions. The forward approach is coexistence based on knowledge, safer behaviour, and coordination with the Forest Department rather than automatic retaliation.