Snakes

Selamat guys, your volunteer group has been getting quite a lot of very positive publicity on the internet…so, “gudonya” and keep up the good work.

Understanding that you work in other areas of Indonesia as well as Bali, I’d like to know if in your opinion the perceptions and treatment of reptiles, snakes in particular, is different here in Bali than in other areas of Indonesia.  In a subtle way I’m alluding to the role of the cobra with Siva, and from what I’ve experienced over the years it seems the Balinese have a respect for all snakes insofar as I’ve rarely seen anyone here go out of their way to kill one.

Although “he” hasn’t been back in recent months, we had a large and quite beautiful reticulated python showing up at one of our temples and making himself home under the rafters of one of the temple bales in our village where he would curl up and simply hang out, presumably digesting one or more of our missing chickens.  Not knowing how long this boy was, his body circumference was easily 10 inches or more.  Of no surprise to you, there was some hotel construction going on nearby and along a river well known in our village to be popular with these pythons.  He was left alone, nobody bothered him or attempted to remove him, and one day he simply moved on. 

Also, I’ve never noticed any handicrafts being made here on Bali from the skin of snakes or other reptiles. 

Do you find this “live and let live” attitude towards these creatures elsewhere in Indonesia?

Bali is the same as most places including USA and Aus
Some people dont mind snakes and others kill them on sight
Bali is probably the biggest consumer market in Indonesia for snake skin products
Mostly westerners buy them
Education is quickly working
We try to visit a school or group every week
Going to a home to relocate a cobra saves 1 snake
Teaching snake safety and ecological awareness may save hundreds

Yes we visit other places regularly
Shintas team in South Kalimantan took the first ever photos of wild orangutans there 2 months ago
BKSDA is already trying to get that area reclassified

Jakarta Yogja Medan Macassar and Vietnam want our help to design and implement reptile rescues similar to Bali reptile rescue
So hopefully we are doing something right