Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) will soon conduct a study on the occupancy and distribution patterns of snakes in Madhya Pradesh. The institute has given in-principle consent to the state forest department to carry out the study in the state, said officials.
“We have asked the WII to study the occupancy and distribution of snakes in Madhya Pradesh, and the WII has agreed to it. Now, the WII will send a team to conduct the study to understand the distribution patterns of snakes in the state,” Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) L. Krishnamurthy told Free Press here on Tuesday.
The study will be carried out only in protected areas of the state such as national parks, tiger reserves, and sanctuaries, said Krishnamurthy.
So far, it is not known when the WII team will arrive in the state to conduct the study — which will be unique not only in India but also globally. Sources in the forest department stated that the study would be a sample survey, under which snake species would be identified in a given area. The WII team will determine which species are found in particular parts of the study area.
A senior forest department officer said the study would also ascertain the average percentage of snakes found in specific areas of protected regions. Wildlife enthusiasts are eagerly waiting to know when the study will start in the state and what its outcome will be. The study may also shed light on whether the King Cobra has ever existed in the state.
CM suggested a ‘snake census’
Notably, it was Chief Minister Mohan Yadav who had pitched the idea of a snake census in the state to determine the number of species present. CM is of the view that the study will help ascertain which parts of the state have higher snake populations and may even help in reducing snakebite cases.
