Bangalore:
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Charmed: An architect by profession, he has dedicated his life to the cause of endangered species of reptiles |
A Bangalorean crossed 15,000 mark rescuing endangered snake species. He achieved this feat after he rescued a cobra in Thiruvannamalai last Friday.
M K Mukund (47), an architect, is famously known as snake Mukund. He has so far rescued 15,000 venomous and non-venomous snakes for the last 31 years.
Not just snakesBesides snakes, he has also rescued endangered bird and animal species found in Bangalore. This includes scorpions, monitor lizards, kites, flying fox, slender loris and spotted owls.
"But I have a long way to go. We need to rescue all endangered species besides snakes that are killed in urban places," said Mukund.
He has rescued 22 endangered snake species, which include king cobra, python, spectacle cobra, Russel's Wiper, sand boa, green snake, pit wiper, rat snake, krait, water snake, wolf snake and cat snake.
"A family in Thirvunnamalai called me to catch a cobra that troubled them. They were afraid of killing it. I rescued it and freed it into a forest. This is 15,000th snake I have rescued," said Mukund, who provides the service for free.
Across the state
He has rescued most of the snakes in and around Bangalore including Yelhanka, Nagrabhavi, Rajajinagar, Bytarayanpura. Those outside Bangalore include Devanhalli, Mandya and Tumkur.
Mukund particularly remembers a cobra caught from Nagarbhavi.
"The common cobra I rescued in 2006 is unforgettable. That is most vibrant and longest of those I have rescued. It was about seven feet," he said.
"And Nagarbhavi is special as I have rescued over 5,000 snakes from that place alone."
Support Forest department officials and city-based Peoples for Animals and CUPA help with Mukund in his cause.
Endangered species rescued by Mukund are freed by them into Bannerghatta forests and Kanakapura forests.
"Mukund's hobby is well appreciated by many groups working for the cause of endangered species. We have taken some of the species rescued by him to our national park," said Nagbhushan, Bannerghatta range forest officer.
Committed Though bitten for more than twenty times by snakes, most of them non-venomous, Mukund hopes to go on rescuing animals.
His family too supports him.
"I have trained my children. My sixteen-years-old son handles snakes well and my daughter, who is only seven years old, also holds a snake and I hope they will continue the same in future," said Mukund.
