keeps or sells snakes . This was originally designed to curb the export of snakeskins , however , in the 1990s animal activists petitioned the government to enforce this legislation upon snake charmers . Consequently , the saperas were forced ‘ underground ’, living a nomadic lifestyle and travelling to more remote areas , with the everpresent risk of being apprehended by the police , which could result in prosecution , or at the very least , payment of a substantial bribe .
India ’ s consciousness is changing too . Increasing access to education and information has led to a better appreciation of wildlife and demystification of the snake charmers . Street performers are rather passé for many modern Indian children , who would rather watch television or play a video game . Organisations such as Wildlife SOS have also worked hard to create awareness of the cruelty that underpins the snake charmer ’ s trade . Steve Irwin once urged his viewers never to give money to snake charmers , and this sentiment is echoed by other animal rights groups , on the basis that it encourages animal cruelty and illegal trade in wildlife .
But to simply deprive the snake charmers of their means to earn a living creates a new problem . In 2003 , hundreds of saperas responded by staging a protest at a temple in the state of Haryana , and in 2004 , a bunch of them managed to gain access to the legislature in Odisha , along with their animals and a list of demands . Having established something akin to a trade union , the Bedia Federation of India , the snake charmers organised another mass protest in the streets of Kolkata in 2009 which was estimated to have been attended by up to 5,000 saperas . A spokesman for the Bedia
Federation said at the time that enforcement of the wildlife legislation had stripped 800,000 people of their sole income and placed 100,000 families under severe financial pressure , whilst an estimated 20,000 snake charmers languished in jail . He said that if the government refused to make an exception for snake charmers , it should consider funding retraining and the creation of snake farms , which could also be used to produce antivenom . The Wildlife Protection Society of India called for the ban on snake charming to remain effective ,
‘ Steve Irwin once urged viewers never to give money to snake charmers , deprive
but to simply deprive these people of their
living creates a new problem .’
since it had been instrumental in reducing animal abuse , and the Indian unit of PETA chimed into the debate by suggesting that the saperas use fake plastic or rubber snakes , a comment which was quickly denounced as nothing but a publicity stunt by the Bedia Federation , which reiterated that its members had been denied their traditional livelihood and that far from abusing their animals , they ‘ worshipped ’ snakes . Then in 2011 , a local snake charmer created havoc in a tax office in northern India when he released dozens of snakes , including spitting cobras , to protest against the bribes demanded by officials in order to retain his animals . Staff members cowered on chairs until forestry personnel arrived to recapture the snakes .
In recognition of the complex nature of this dilemma , the government has relaxed its stance somewhat : limited numbers of snake charmers are permitted at specified locations , and snakes already in captivity are being identified with microchips to prevent more being taken from the wild . A number of suggestions have been made for alternative employment of the saperas ; Wildlife SOS , for example , is attempting to retrain them as snake removalists , however the success of such initiatives is yet to be determined .
Unfortunately , no doubt .
It had taken some effort to find a snake charmer in Jaipur – a city of around 3.6 million people in northern India . Luckily , my driver had some idea of their regular haunts , and we eventually found a group of three dishevelled saperas behind the city palace . I had hoped to find more drawn by the annual camel fair in the historic town of Pushkar , about 150 kilometres to the southwest , on the edge of the Thar Desert , but extensive searching yielded absolutely nothing , until my wife pointed out a couple of shabby-looking older women seated on the ground amongst the stalls selling clothing and souvenirs . They made no pretence at ‘ charming ’ their snakes , merely lifting the lids of their baskets and then demanding money for photos . Both of the snakes were obviously in poor shape ; one did not rise up at all , and appeared to be almost lifeless .
‘ No poison !’ the women immediately volunteered ; so their snakes had obviously been cruelly incapacitated .
I could find no more snake charmers in Pushkar , but upon our return to Jaipur , I decided to revisit the city palace in the hope of spotting more , or in the event that I encountered the same three individuals we had come across before , to have a closer look at their animals to see if I could discern whether they had been interfered with in any way . Andy , back at iHerp Australia HQ ,
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