Handling snakes/monkeys in human habitats

Hello All,

Ours is an apartment complex of 20 acres built in a place which used to be very green once and still is to some extent (Near thurahalli hill in kanakapura road bangalore). The builder did promote a lot of greenary and trees within the complex which has invited monkeys and snakes leading to the death of a gardner unfortunately due to snake bite.

It is a different topic about who has encroached whose space. I guess this is a clear example of how human encroachment is affecting wildlife.

However we are thinking about how to address the situation. Some people are sugesting catchers who will come and catch the monkeys and relocate to some far away forest / kill the snakes. Some have talked about removing the greenary from the complex.

Can there be a win-win, for both people and the animals, in a situation like this?

Regards,
Anton

Nice you have raised the Issue.
1. I believe the apartment complex is demarcated by a boundary wall of min.4/5 ft height.If not,this should be done.No rubbishes should be allowed to remain/stored within the complex area beyond a short period.It becomes home for snakes.
Garbage containing eatables has to be disposed of everyday.Everyone should deposit it only in garbage disposal vats till removal in the next morning. It attracts rats, snakes and also monkeys.
2.Cutting of grasses at regular intervals say,every week is essential so that ground with a blade of grass remains clear and visible.If certain type of grass has to be uprooted,a type which is suitable for residential area should be laid.There should not be any undergrowth which restrict visibility on the ground.Dry leaves to be removed by sweeping the complex area everyday.
3. Outright cutting of tall trees is banned without permission of regulatory bodies(municipal/panchayat/environment/forest department,as the case may be ).However pruning of trees before and after rainy seaon is needed. Branches near the ground may be cut off upto certain height depending on type of trees for ground clearance and visibility.
4.You should try to find out reliable NGOs in your city who send trained people to catch poisonous snakes as soon they are found within the complex.They either hand them over to the forest department or release them in the wild.They have such arrangement with the forest department. The wildlife/forest department also sometime send their own people.Please contact the forest department/NGOs who will advise you about the regulations obtaining in the area and the facility that may be extended to your locality.

In your area common cobra(Naja Naja) and russel's viper may common.I do not know whether common krait and saw-scaled viper are also found there.

I was wandering in Chintamani Kar Bird Sanctuary,Narendrapur(area very small) near Kolkata a few days back and found 3 Monocled cobras and 1 Russel's viper caught in nearby residential areas are being handed over to the forest department people for translocation.

In my view, you may not bother about monkeys and non-venomous snakes.

Keep the telephone numbers of the people to be contacted at specified place in your apartment and on your mobile. SaktiWild

In cotinuation of my small write up posted at 12.10 p.m on 19.11.2011,I may add the following:
(a)My sincere condolences to the bereaved family of the of the gardener who met with this accident while in service to the residents and the society.
All possible help to his family may please be extended individually and collectively by the society.
(2)Please read 'Russells Viper' in place of Russel's viper.
(3)The Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act,1976 as amended from time to time is applicable.You may visit the website:' Karnataka Forest Department:FAQ 'which will provide you concise information on clearances necessary for cutting/felling of trees.
SaktiWild

I have grown up with lot of greenery. And by greenery I don't mean the exotic grass used in the lawns. Even a banded krait had fallen on my mom's head. When I was in school, I was ignorant and I used to think snakes are meant to be killed and used to kill any snake that I could find. Many I have killed from the bedroom. Later on I realised that snakes control the rodent population and wanton killing of snakes is leading to a huge problem for agriculture.

Snakes can't climb over slippery surfaces.

Most of the people shout when the see a snake. That doesn't help as snakes can't hear. Stamp your feet and it will go away. You don't need to kill. With the modern apartment blocks, it is even difficult for snakes.

If someone can plant fruit bearing trees, it would be a big help for monkeys. Unfortunately, you can find lot of people selling variety of fruits like guava, crusted apple etc picked from the nearby forests/green areas. What will monkeys do? There is no option for them but to enter houses for food.

Tell your folks that they are blessed to have some trees nearby. What kind of trees you have in the complex? Unfortunately, these days there are less of indigenous trees and also more of lawns. That means nothing. These lawns just need more of water. Ideally there should be one contigous patch where lot of trees etc should be planted and left like that. No need for cleaning or anything. It can be a good habitat for your mongoose etc. Monkeys can have the fruits (unless people start chasing them away from the fruit bearing trees).

Is it visible from Nice road? We drive through the Nice road from Kanakpura to Mysore and see that the area has been devastated. Thousands of houses have come up.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi