Madras Crocodile Bank Trust
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Mission Statement
To develop and run a world-class reptile zoo, and to promote the conservation of reptiles and amphibians and their habitats through education, scientific research and captive breeding. Efforts are focused on, but are not limited to, Indian species and ecosystems and include both in-situ and ex-situ components.
About This Cause
In the past few years, we have focused our efforts on solving the problem of snakebite and this the cause that we are raising funds for through Benevity. India has the bleak label of ‘Snakebite Capital of the World’ with more than 50,000 men, women and children die of snakebite each year and many thousands more rural bread-winners suffer permanent physical disabilities and mental trauma. Snakebites are preventable accidents and it's time that the right information and help reaches the villages where most snakebites happen. People need to learn how to avoid the few snakes that are dangerous and what to do if bitten. There is only one cure for venomous snakebite and that is antivenom and it's up to our health authorities to ensure that antivenom is always available where and when it's most needed. As India's chapter of the Global Snakebite Initiative, The Centre for Herpetology, Madras Crocodile Bank is building up local partnerships, collaborating with national and international experts in the fields of herpetology, venomology, health and social science and of course always on the lookout for donor agencies to support the work being done even in the most remote parts of the country. We and our partners are conducting a snakebite mitigation project which includes venom sampling and research, snake and snakebite treatment center mapping and a nationwide awareness campaign for snakebite mitigation. Snakebite in India is a big medical and social challenge, let's get together and do something about it! We believe that prevention of snakebite is the most important goal of our activities. We have been partnering with NGOs and herpetologists across India to conduct extensive education, outreach and capacity building programs across 7 of the snakebite-prone states of India. We have reached more than 700,000 people through our workshops, which are supplemented with simple and concise educational materials we have created, including posters, handouts and short films. In addition to this, we are initiating a socio-economic study to ascertain acceptability levels of key protective equipment i.e. rechargeable torchlights, gumboots and mosquito nets among rural communities in Tamil Nadu. The composition and effects of snake venom vary regionally, which makes the currently available antivenom ineffective in some parts of the country. To address this issue, we are collaborating with Evolutionary Venomics lab, Indian Institute of Science to study geographical venom variation and neutralizing capacity of antivenom. We are partnering with the National Health Mission, Tamil Nadu towards collection of snakebite data and establishing of a snakebite registry for the state, a project that we hope will be replicated nationwide.