Jisha Surya / ENS - THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
07th August 2012 09:07 AM
Snake bites are nothing new to him. It was the 258th bite. However, Vava Suresh took treatment only seven times. He was put on ventilator twice and was in ICU five times. This time too, Suresh was in ICU for six days after being bitten by a cobra on July 29. When Express met Suresh, now recuperating at Medical College here, he was still getting frantic calls from people seeking help.
Suresh showed his hand, which bears a number of scars of snake bites. The latest one has given a swelling and numbness to his right hand. “I can’t properly take food using my right hand,” he says. But Suresh is happy that he could still catch a snake since his left hand was alright, except for one finger, which was amputated after a snake bite last month.
On the medical expense, he says: “Here, I am getting VVIP treatment. The entire expense is borne by the Government.” Asked about a Facebook message seeking aid for Vava Suresh, he says that it was created without his consent. “The SBT account and other details are true. But I have not asked anyone to seek aid for me. I have no idea how they got it. This is something against my wish,” he says. Though Suresh rarely gets money for the service he renders, he has no complaints.
Suresh, known for his skill in handling snakes, usually gets bitten when he exhibits the snake for the public. “What to do? People always want me to show the snake. Nobody bothers to hand over a bottle to keep the snake. They would gather around me to see the snake. The only option before me is to save others from getting bitten,” he says.
Suresh keeps a record of his activities; his diary contains details such as place of visit, address, phone number, number of snakes caught, and even the time. He has so far saved around 30,000 snakes.
“This year alone, I have saved 1,423 snakes. The number is less compared to last year since I am conducting awareness classes for schools and other organisations,” he says. Suresh has conducted around 250 classes covering topics such as identification of snakes, misconception around snakes etc. Last month, Suresh released his first book on snakes, titled ‘Ayyo Pampu.’
Having started saving both snakes and men almost 20 years ago, Suresh believes snakes won’t betray him. “I get a bite since I invade into its territory. Men must shed their feeling that money can buy everything. Compared to snakes, men have much developed senses. They must take care,” he says.
07th August 2012 09:07 AM
Snake bites are nothing new to him. It was the 258th bite. However, Vava Suresh took treatment only seven times. He was put on ventilator twice and was in ICU five times. This time too, Suresh was in ICU for six days after being bitten by a cobra on July 29. When Express met Suresh, now recuperating at Medical College here, he was still getting frantic calls from people seeking help.
Suresh showed his hand, which bears a number of scars of snake bites. The latest one has given a swelling and numbness to his right hand. “I can’t properly take food using my right hand,” he says. But Suresh is happy that he could still catch a snake since his left hand was alright, except for one finger, which was amputated after a snake bite last month.
On the medical expense, he says: “Here, I am getting VVIP treatment. The entire expense is borne by the Government.” Asked about a Facebook message seeking aid for Vava Suresh, he says that it was created without his consent. “The SBT account and other details are true. But I have not asked anyone to seek aid for me. I have no idea how they got it. This is something against my wish,” he says. Though Suresh rarely gets money for the service he renders, he has no complaints.
Suresh, known for his skill in handling snakes, usually gets bitten when he exhibits the snake for the public. “What to do? People always want me to show the snake. Nobody bothers to hand over a bottle to keep the snake. They would gather around me to see the snake. The only option before me is to save others from getting bitten,” he says.
Suresh keeps a record of his activities; his diary contains details such as place of visit, address, phone number, number of snakes caught, and even the time. He has so far saved around 30,000 snakes.
“This year alone, I have saved 1,423 snakes. The number is less compared to last year since I am conducting awareness classes for schools and other organisations,” he says. Suresh has conducted around 250 classes covering topics such as identification of snakes, misconception around snakes etc. Last month, Suresh released his first book on snakes, titled ‘Ayyo Pampu.’
Having started saving both snakes and men almost 20 years ago, Suresh believes snakes won’t betray him. “I get a bite since I invade into its territory. Men must shed their feeling that money can buy everything. Compared to snakes, men have much developed senses. They must take care,” he says.
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