Thiruvananthapuram: Very rarely does Vava Suresh get a break from snake catching. Saturday was one such day, and he found time to attend farewell of two forest officials in Ranni.
The conservationist, as he calls himself, had reasons to call it quits. But a day later, by Saturday evening, he changed his mind after people started pleading him to continue.
Vava Suresh, who got a BBC Outlook Inspirations awards nomination last year, was upset with the way some people targeted him on social media. But his fans across the world were urging him not to take any drastic action, and he lovingly obliged. When DC called Vava, he was in no mood to attend the call. But after several attempts, he poured his heart out, recalling his encounter with a television channel programme which will be aired on Sunday.
"A group of young people masquerading as animal lovers have been targeting me over the last several months," he said.
"They have been demanding that I should not touch snakes, kiss them, and they even resorted to swearing at my family members, including my parents."The 45-year-old has captured close to 170 king cobras strayed into human settlements and restored them into their natural habitat, the deep forests. He does it using bare hands without any safety gears.
He also captured more than 50, 000 stray snakes entering homes, including in the city.
He says he has never encroached into forest land and captured snakes. People from across the state call him when snakes invade their settlements, and he's alert waiting for a call anytime, 24X7.
"I do the job for free, and probably my rivals who are targeting me are keen on making money, and I might be an obstacle," he said.
"But I'm truly overwhelmed by the love people shower on me, forcing me to change my decision, and I'm available to catch the reptile before they kill them."
