Save Lives of Snakebite Victims in Rural India

The Thirst that Leads to Danger

As summer reaches its peak in Kerala, the landscape changes. Surface water vanishes, and the cool shadows of the forest turn brittle and dry. For the snakes of Kottayam and beyond—including the majestic Spectacled Cobra and the heavy Indian Rock Python—survival means one thing: finding water and shade.

Unfortunately, that search often leads them straight into human dwellings, kitchens, and busy town centers.

The Data Doesn't Lie

Our recent data from the SARPA app tells a startling story. In Kottayam district alone, we have recorded hundreds of encounters in just the last few months. From the busy streets of the town to quiet rural backyards, the frequency of "human-snake" interactions has reached a critical high.

• 430+ Rescues: A massive surge in reports as snakes flee the heat.
• High-Risk Species: Frequent encounters with highly venomous Spectacled Cobras.
• Urban Encroachment: Snakes are increasingly found in populated areas where the risk of accidental bites is highest.

The Invisible Heroes on the Frontline

Behind every successful rescue is a volunteer. These brave individuals are the bridge between a potential tragedy and a peaceful resolution. They work around the clock, often waking up in the middle of the night to safely relocate a snake from a family's home back into the wild.

But there is a problem.

While TIES has worked tirelessly to train these volunteers, many are currently entering high-stakes situations without the proper tools. A snake hook and a bag are not just "gadgets"—they are the only things standing between a rescuer and a life-threatening bite.

The Mission: 500 Rescue Kits

Currently, the majority of our volunteers are operating with improvised tools or nothing at all. This increases the risk of injury to the rescuer and stress (or death) for the snake.

Our Goal: To provide 500 Professional Snake Rescue Kits to active volunteers across various districts.

Each kit ensures:

1. Safety for the Rescuer: Professional-grade hooks and tongs to maintain safe distances.
2. Safety for the Snake: Ventilated, secure transport bags that prevent injury to the animal.
3. Community Peace of Mind: Faster, more professional response times for terrified families.

Metric- Current Reality (Kottayam Data)

Documented Rescues- 446 rescues in just 5 months (Oct 2025 – Mar 2026).

High-Risk Encounters- 260 Spectacled Cobras (Venomous) rescued, often in residential areas.

Volunteer Equipment- Majority of volunteers are working without proper tools, risking bites.

Snake Welfare- Risk of injury to snakes (Pythons, Vipers) during improvised rescues.

Community Safety- High anxiety in town areas (Kottayam town alone shows frequent sightings).

How You Can Help

TIES (Tropical Institute of Ecological Sciences) is committed to "Co-existence, not Conflict." Your donation today goes directly toward equipping a hero in the field.

• $25 helps maintain training resources for one volunteer.
• $75 provides a partial safety kit.
• $150 provides a full, professional rescue kit that will save hundreds of lives over its lifetime.

As the sun gets hotter, the clock is ticking. Help us turn "Snake Bytes" into "Snake Safety."

Donation Amount- The Impact

$30- Protective Gear: Provides heavy-duty safety gloves and snake bags for 1 volunteer.

$75- The Rescue Hook: Provides a professional-grade, lightweight telescopic snake hook.

$150- The Full Safety Kit: Equips one volunteer with a complete rescue kit (Hook, Bag, Gloves, and Transport Box).

$500- A District Unit: Supports the training and full equipping of a 3-person rapid response team.

Summary

In rural India, a snakebite is a race against time that thousands lose every year. It's a crisis not just of venom, but of a broken system: community rescuers lack safety gear, rural clinics lack the life-saving anti-venom, and doctors lack the specialized training to use it. Our project attacks this problem from every angle. Your donation will equip 750 volunteer rescuers with professional safety kits, stock rural clinics with free anti-venom, and deliver expert video training to doctors nationwide.  

The Story

For a farmer in rural India, a rustle in the grass can be a death sentence. Not because the bite is untreatable, but because of what happens next.  

He’s rushed to the nearest local clinic. The doctor, who may not have treated a snakebite since medical school, is hesitant. Fearful of complications and lacking specialized training, the doctor’s safest option is to refer the patient to a city hospital, hours away. That delay is fatal.

Even if the doctor is confident, the pharmacy shelf is often bare. The clinic, serving the poorest communities, cannot afford to stock the expensive Anti-Snake Venom (ASV). The farmer’s family, facing an impossible choice, must either pay an amount that will ruin them financially or watch their loved one die.

This is the reality for thousands. Every year, 50,000 people in India die from snakebites—farmers, mothers, and children who could have been saved.  

Our Solution: A Chain of Survival

The Tropical Institute of Ecological Sciences (TIES) is on the ground, and we are fixing this broken system. Through our "India Snake Byte Initiative," we are building a comprehensive 'chain of survival' to ensure that from the moment of the bite to the hospital bed, every link is strong.

This project is a three-pronged attack on snakebite mortality:

1. We Empower Doctors: We are bridging the critical knowledge gap. We are funding a new digital Continued Medical Education (CME) program, recording India's most experienced snakebite specialists as they share their life-saving protocols. These expert videos will be delivered directly to doctors across the nation via the SARPA mobile app, giving them the confidence and knowledge to treat victims immediately and effectively.  
2. We Provide the 'Vial of Life': A doctor's knowledge is useless without the medicine. Our "A Vial of Life" program identifies high-need, not-for-profit rural clinics and provides a sustained, free-of-cost supply of ASV. We ensure that when a victim arrives, the life-saving "vial of life" is waiting for them.  
3. We Protect the Rescuers: While the victim is treated, a brave community volunteer is often called to safely remove the snake. These heroes—900 of whom we have already trained—work with little to no safety gear. We are changing that by equipping 750 of these trained volunteers with professional-grade snake rescue kits to protect them as they protect their communities.  

How Your Donation Will Help

We have the plan, the expert partners, and a proven track record. Now, we need you to help us build this chain of survival. Your donation has a direct, tangible impact:

• $25 helps fund the production of a digital training video that can empower hundreds of doctors.
• $50 helps stock a "Vial of Life" in a rural clinic, ensuring free anti-venom is available for a patient in need.
• $200 provides one volunteer rescuer with a complete, professional safety kit, protecting them for years to come.

A snakebite should be a treatable injury, not a tragedy. Join TIES and help us build a future where no one in rural India dies from a snakebite. Together, we can achieve Zero Snakebite Death.