Snake panic in Bangladesh, Russell's viper fears trigger wave of indiscriminate killings

“Don’t panic: refrain from killing Russell’s Viper”, “What to do if you encounter a Russell’s Viper?”, “Is Killing Snakes Allowed in Islam?”, “Stop killing snakes to protect environment”… these are some of the top headlines from Bangladesh’s news outlets over the past week. The country is in panic. An unaccounted number of snakes have been killed in Bangladesh in recent days. The situation is so drastic that the country’s health minister, Samanta Lal Sen, urged all citizens not to panic or kill snakes, Russel’s viper in particular. The environment ministry has also issued a set of guidelines to save the lives of people, and snakes.

Why people are killing snakes: Social media posts have a clue

Reports in Bangladeshi media suggest that it all began with a viral Facebook post on June 16. The post claimed that people in a village called Jalsa in Dhmarai upzila (a sub-district unit) of Dhaka killed a Russell’s viper. Why it happened could not be determined. Reports suggest it was a false alarm.

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In the subsequent days, similar claims flooded social media from various parts of Dhaka and other districts of the country. Reports also emerged that a woman died of a snake bite. The authorities, quoted in local media, said the species of the snake could not be determined.

This came against the backdrop of five people succumbing to snake bites in the Manikganj district, not far from Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka. Similar reports of deaths came from the Rajshahi district, where deceased victims included a university student.

The cases of snake bites are not uncommon at this time of the year in Bangladesh or South Asia, especially in the rice-growing areas as this is the season of paddy plantation and fields are generally submerged.

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So what is happening now?

The surge in fear and misinformation about snakes, particularly the Russell’s viper, also known locally as the Chandrabora snake, is continuing the disturbing trend across Bangladesh. Various types of snakes, many of them non-venomous, are being killed out of mistaken fear that they are Russell’s vipers.

Earlier this week, reports came that locals in Dhamrai killed a large snake and 23 hatchlings, mistaking them for Russell’s vipers. These snakes were later identified as non-venomous checkered keelbacks. In another incident, 29 checkered keelbacks were killed. Even a cobra was killed in the same upzila amid widespread fear.

It is estimated that over 85% of the snakes found in Bangladesh are non-venomous. The authorities rank the Russell’s viper or Chandrabora snake ranks at nine on the list of venomous snakes. Most of the snakes that are being killed out of fear are reportedly non-venomous and beneficial to the environment.

A threat to environmental impact, warn experts

Experts in Bangladesh warned that the indiscriminate killing of snakes poses a severe threat to biodiversity and ecological balance. Snakes play a crucial role in controlling pest populations, particularly rats, which can destroy 10-20% of crops annually.

The unchecked killing of snakes could lead to a surge in rat populations, causing significant crop damage and affecting food security. This very aspect of snake food habit is believed to have made the reptile a divine entity to be worshipped by communities dependent on paddy cultivation in many Asian countries.

Snakes are integral to the ecosystem, serving both as predators and prey. The decline in snake populations disrupts the food chain and impacts other species that rely on them for food. This explains why authorities from top forest officials to Bangladesh ministers have urged the public to exercise caution and avoid killing snakes. They have launched an awareness campaign noting that Russell’s vipers are not aggressive and only attack when provoked.

It’s a crime to kill Russel’s viper in Bangladesh

In its statement, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change said that Russell’s vipers are a protected species under the Wildlife Act 2012, and killing, capturing, or transporting them is a punishable offence. The law doesn’t specifically talk about the punishment for killing a snake, but it says an offender can be jailed for up to seven years for killing protected species.

And Russel’s viper has a Bangladesh story

Held responsible for about half the snake bite deaths in India, Russell’s viper, which was thought to become extinct in Bangladesh for about a century, suddenly made its appearance around 2013. A flurry of reports came about the deaths by its bite. Most of the victims were farmers working in their fields. They kept popping up and claiming new victims.

A 2018 study found Russell’s viper responsible for 20 deaths between 2013 and 2016. By 2023, the fear was such that Bangladesh’s Venom Research Centre planned to develop indigenous anti-venom as the country is dependent on imported doses to save people’s lives.