A wildlife biologist by passion, Yatin Kalki had been fascinated by all animals including reptiles since he was a kid. Growing up in Bangalore, he would see a lot of snakes around his neighbourhood, but people would often kill them out of fear. This didn't sit well with him so he began rescuing snakes around the age of 16. He practiced handling non-venomous snakes and slowly moved on to catching venomous ones as well. Soon, Yatin became known as the local snake guy and his neighbours would call him anytime there was a snake situation.
Each snake rescue was an opportunity for him to educate people about snakes and dispel their fears. With frequent rescues and periodic awareness sessions, the mindset of the people slowly changed from fear to fascination. People also began to understand that non-venomous snakes are beneficial to have in their gardens, so they stopped calling for relocations of ratsnakes and keelbacks.
"I loved working with wildlife so much that I decided to turn my hobby into a profession. I did my BSc and MSc in Wildlife Biology and began researching snakes and other animals in their natural habitats. Through this journey, I've been able to travel to jungles all over India, the Amazon rainforest and many parts of the US to find wildlife," said Yatin.
Sharing his passion for wildlife with others and educating people to develop a deeper interest in wildlife conservation has been very fulfilling, he says. The sense of peace that comes from observing wild animals in their natural habitats is also a feeling unlike any other.
His family was understandably skeptical and scared when he started working with dangerous animals. However, they slowly changed their outlook and began to take an interest in snakes.
"When I was away for college, my neighbours would still call my house whenever there was a snake that needed rescuing. Since I wasn't there, my mom, dad, or brother would end up going to save the snake. They had seen me handle snakes multiple times, so they used that experience to be able to save several snakes in my absence," he concluded.
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