Friends of Snakes Society Marks 30 Years of Reptile Rescue in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh

Rapid Summary

• The Hyderabad-based Friends of Snakes Society (FOS) celebrated its 30th anniversary on June 30, 2025.
• FOS plans to launch a Snakebite Mitigation initiative aimed at reducing snake bite deaths in Telangana and Andhra pradesh by half by 2030.
• key features of the initiative include:

– A dedicated website, www.snakebite.in, featuring tools like a hospital locator for snake bite treatment, first aid protocols, and region-specific venomous snake information.
– A round-the-clock snake identification cell where users can submit photos online for assistance.

• Workshops on snake bite mitigation and management will be conducted with specific focus on rural areas with high incidence rates. stakeholders targeted include local health workers, schoolteachers, forest personnel, panchayat leaders, and communities around Primary Health Centres.

Indian Opinion Analysis

Friends of Snakes Society’s longstanding commitment to wildlife rescue is now expanding into public health through its comprehensive Snakebite Mitigation initiative.By leveraging technology via a website platform alongside grassroots-level education efforts in rural areas with high vulnerability to such incidents, the program promises significant societal impact.The emphasis on empowering healthcare workers and local leaders demonstrates an effective strategy in addressing both prevention and post-bite care.

Snake bites remain a major concern across rural India due to limited access to proper medical care or awareness about response measures. This initiative is noteworthy as it blends modern digital tools-like hospital locators-with localized training sessions tailored for community leaders. If successfully implemented across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh as intended by FOS’s timeline leading up to the year 2030, it could potentially serve as a scalable model nationwide.

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