Snakes Abused during Dance Performances

Submitted by Linkesh on Tue, 2005-03-01 05:30

In Kerala, the festival season is often a period of cruelty to snakes and other animals, used as props. A number of cinematic dance troupes use snakes on stage shows. Various troupes compete on their variety of snakes available to exhibit. The snakes are denied food and water, and are exposed to intense light on-stage.

PFA brought this to the notice of the Chief Conservator of Forests (Wild Life) in March, 2005. The Forestry Department immediately issued a press notification banning the use of snakes on stage. Later, the captive snakes were rescued and released to the forests.

Live and Let Live

The Kollam Chapter

This Kollam Chapter was formed in December 2003 by a group of similar-minded teachers. At that time there were no such organizations locally. It was registered under the Indian Trusts Act on February 5^th 2004, under the chairperson-ship of Smt Maneka Gandhi, MP.

We work via all avenues to improve conditions for animals locally. Among our most important programmes is the Animal Birth Control (ABC) initiative, wherein street animals are sterilized, vaccinated and returned to their colonies to live out their lives harmlessly and healthily. Another way we seek to reduce the stray population is by encouraging people to adopt Indian dogs from the street or shelters instead of buying foreign pedigrees.

Our awareness campaigns include schools and colleges, as a part of the functioning of the Kindness Club. We also conduct free veterinary camps in villages, during which free medicine and feed are distributed. We also vaccinate dogs and cats against rabies.

Our Animal Ambulance has been modified into a mobile Animal Clinic. The cost of the land for our Animal Shelter has been met via a grant from the National Chairperson Maneka Gandhi, and also through donations. The shelter construction has started, and is now half done. The grant for this construction was provided by the Animal Welfare Board of India.

Just one among many of our activities, the Kollam Chapter was instrumental in forming a Kindness Club to promote kindness and awareness among people.