January 2, 2023
By Biodiversity Conservation team
Towards the end of December 2022, four team members comprising our wildlife crew along with three volunteers went on a two-day field trip to visit three institutions in Chennai that are leading efforts in wildlife conservation through education, scientific research and advocacy.
At Madras Crocodile Bank, we visited the Irula Co-operative Venom Centre and witnessed demonstrations of venom extraction from the spectacled cobra, Russel’s viper, and various kraits. We engaged in enlightening conversations with the community of snake catchers and went on a guided trail through the MCB campus.
Our next stop was the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation. We were given an introduction to the inspiration behind the institute, established by assistant veterinary surgeon Dr. Vasantha Kumari. We were guided around the campus and learned more about wildlife crime and forensics. Our team member Chandrasekar, who is frequently appointed as the NGO representative for wildlife post-mortems, was especially fascinated to see the lab process following sample collection. Concepts of morphology and molecular biology in wildlife conservation were introduced during the tour as well.
‘Seeing venom being extracted from some of the most venomous snakes in India was surreal. The visit to AIWC was extremely interesting as I learnt so many new things,’ said Silambarasan, a field assistant who works with our team.
On the second day, we visited the Arignar Anna Zoological Park, which sprawls over 6.03 km² and hosts about 2,200 animals. The day was spent walking through the park and learning about how zoos play an important role in education and communication. We learned about captive nourishment and captive breeding programs. We saw the different animals that come from all over the country.
‘It was the first time I saw a crocodile. To learn that there are so many different types of crocodiles, alligators, and gharials was fascinating. I enjoyed learning and knowing so much about the habitats, and reptile behaviour,’ said Sajiv, a volunteer who travelled with us.
‘I felt like a child visiting the AAZP. There were so many animals and the whole day seemed to have gone so quickly just observing the animals,’ commented Prakash, another volunteer.
