In 2004, wildlife biologist Gowri Shankar was bitten by a king cobra when he was rescuing it from a home. There was no antivenom available for king cobra then, so he was positive that he would die in half-hour. Amid excruciating ache, he was reminded of some vials of antivenom (produced from the venom of the king cobras of Thailand) that he had stored in his lab. Gowri informed the medical doctors to…
In 2004, wildlife biologist Gowri Shankar was bitten by a king cobra when he was rescuing it from a home. There was no antivenom available for king cobra then, so he was positive that he would die in half-hour. Amid excruciating ache, he was reminded of some vials of antivenom (produced from the venom of the king cobras of Thailand) that he had stored in his lab. Gowri informed the medical doctors to experiment with it on him. The outcome was adverse because the antivenom didn’t work. But there was hope. The king cobra, in accordance with Gowri, was type because it injected a really small quantity of venom into his hand whereas biting. The venom was not sufficient to kill him, however it gave the young herpetologist a subject for his analysis on the world’s longest venomous snakes.
The king cobras have been thought of a monotypic genus which suggests the snakes all around the world have been thought of a single species beneath the genus Ophiophagus. If that’s the case, why didn’t the ‘Thai’ antivenom work? To discover a solution to the query, Gowri travelled to the habitats of king cobras in south and southeast Asia, following their growls.
Gowri Shankar with a king cobra.
With years of hardwork and dedication, Gowri lastly proved that the king cobra consists of many evolutionary lineages, not a single one as believed. The king cobras (Ophiophagus hannah) might signify a species advanced which suggests there may very well be a number of species. The examine attained significance because it was an vital discovering after zoologist Edward Cantor known as the king cobra “Ophiophagus hannah” (‘Ophio’ means snake, ‘phagus’ means consuming) in 1836.
While finding out the evolutionary lineages and behavior patterns of king cobras, Gowri had a dream. He wished to open a centre devoted to environmental training, analysis and conservation within the coronary heart of the forest. In 2012, Gowri Shankar and Sharmila Rajasegaran began the Kalinga Foundation and Kalinga Centre for Rainforest Ecology (KCRE) in Agumbe, a distant and the wettest village within the Shivamogga district of Karnataka. “It all started with a dream – a dream to truly live in the heart of nature. A dream to show the world that it is possible to coexist harmoniously with nature and to also inspire the future generations to be the custodians of our natural heritage,” says Gowri Shankar, who’s the founder trustee of the Kalinga Foundation and the KCRE, an environmental training facility that welcomes folks to study scientific instruments of conservation via workshops and camps.
The Kalinga group, led by Gowri Shankar, has made vital progress within the examine of wildlife with a particular give attention to snakes, significantly on king cobras. The initiative resulted within the rescue of two,88,000 snakes (not directly), together with 135 king cobras, from misery conditions within the Shivamogga district of Karnataka. Kalinga Foundation has performed a vital position in educating 7,677 college and school college students to forest division officers and employees. From molecular phylogenetics of king cobras to radio-telemetry research on Malabar pit vipers, the organisation has been on the forefront of advancing scientific information in herpetology and ecology. As Kalinga Foundation completes its ten years of energetic involvement with nature and reptiles, its founder Gowri Shankar says he’s completely satisfied. “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us. And the world will live as one,” says Gowri, quoting John Lennon, the well-known English singer and songwriter, who gained worldwide acclaim because the founding father of the English rock band The Beatles.
The Kalinga Foundation amid deep forests.
The Kalinga Foundation in the present day performs a significant position in terms of conservation of nature and its unique species. However, it was not straightforward to begin an organisation for the couple with a toddler and no correct job 10 years in the past. They needed to elevate funds. When Gowri conveyed his concept to his pal and lawyer Shaukath Jamal, he informed him to begin two organisations – a non-profit one and a profit-oriented one. But discovering the placement was difficult. With the assistance of wildlife and forest specialists, the couple discovered a place in Agumbe in Shivamogga district.
The place that Gowri and his pals selected was distant and scenic. There have been loads of arecanut crops. The group first constructed a relaxation home utilizing pure merchandise just like the wooden of arecanut crops. A nicely was dug. But there was no electrical energy and phone. One needed to journey a minimum of a kilometre to make a name. It was a humble starting, however the couple bought help from wildlife lovers and researchers who frequented the place. From a discipline station, Kalinga Foundation quickly developed right into a biodiversity and analysis centre.
The Kalinga Foundation has helped many researchers full their thesis with nice advantage. Priyanka Swamy was a member within the group, headed by Gowri, that studied the phylogeography of king cobra which finally led to the invention of 4 new species of it. Today, she is pursuing her PhD on the Malabar Pit Viper utilizing a radio telemetry methodology. She has completed all the sector research. There are many like Priyanka who’ve finished their analysis efficiently on the Kalinga Foundation. “The Kalinga Foundation’s establishments are some of the few available biodiversity research field stations in the Western Ghats, catering to the needs of a wide array of biologists and nature enthusiasts alike. Its base has proved instrumental for the study and exploration of several life forms including plants and trees, insects and other invertebrates, birds, mammals and of course herpetofauna – amphibians and reptiles,” says Sharmila Rajasegaran, cofounder of Kalinga Foundation.
Gowri rescuing a king cobra.
The Kalinga Foundation, in collaboration with famend establishments, has contributed to biodiversity analysis initiatives. Snake radio telemetry, king cobra conservation and crocodile inhabitants genetics are among the ongoing initiatives. The Kalinga group additionally conducts conservation camps, workshops and occasions to create a better understanding of wildlife conservation amongst various communities. “Many studies including molecular phylogenetics of the king cobras (in collaboration with Indian Institute of Science, North Orissa University, Uppsala University Sweden and University of Bangor UK, University of Malaysia, Sarawak), radio-telemetry studies on vipers (Bangalore University), to agamid lizard ecology and man-crocodile conflict mitigation (University of Warsaw, Poland) and herpetological assemblage structure (University of Leiden, Netherlands) have been conducted by our team. We have mentored and nurtured more than 85 interns and student trainees, many of whom have pursued higher studies in wildlife, including PhD and Postdoc programs both in India and abroad,” she added.
The KCRE, has carried out greater than 667 STORM (Scientific Training on Reptile Management) workshops, in varied cities and cities. A flagship programme of the KCRE, STORM is for individuals who have taken the leap from abhorring reptiles to studying and appreciating them.
The king cobras are the one snakes identified to build a nest to put eggs and defend them. They have lengthy roamed the jungles of south and southeast Asia. They happen in diversified habitats starting from the tropics, subtropical and temperate areas. King cobras are discovered within the moist areas of the Western and Eastern Ghats of Peninsular India and the Andaman Islands, the Himalayan foothills of northern India (Uttarakhand), east throughout Northeast India to southern China, and throughout Southeast Asia all the way in which to the Philippines.
The king cobra is categorised as ‘Vulnerable’ beneath the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Assessment (IUCN, 2012) and listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Habitat destruction, pores and skin commerce, poaching for meals, drugs and pet commerce threaten king cobra populations. Gowri Shankar is thought for his work on king cobra conservation. He has over 20 years of expertise working with captive and wild snakes. He has rescued greater than 350 king cobras, monitored 50 nests, and launched greater than 500 king cobra hatchlings again to the wild.
For Gowri and Sharmila, it’s a decade of dedication to wildlife conservation. The couple give credit score to the group of pals who helped them obtain the objective. “Building two organisations from scratch, brick by brick, was only possible due to a clear vision for wildlife and environmental conservation, unwavering focus, team support, and the extended family that is Kalinga,” stated Gowri, whereas expressing gratitude to those that contributed considerably to the organisation’s success at a operate held in Bengaluru not too long ago. “In the years to come, the Kalinga team looks forward to expanding its horizon and delve deeper into scientifically-informed conservation,” he added. Gowri’s journey with king cobras will proceed, with extra growls and strikes.
