‘It Changed My Life…’: 'Snake Man Of India' Romulus Whitaker Shares His Journey, Reveals Biggest Challenge In Conservation Efforts

New Delhi: Speaking to Republic TV on India’s 77th Republic Day, wildlife conservationist and herpetologist Romulus Whitaker said reptiles, including snakes, must be viewed as an integral part of India’s natural heritage, even as fear and misinformation continue to drive the killing of snakes across the nation.

Whitaker spoke to Republic TV as part of a series aired on this Republic Day, featuring veterans from different fields who have contributed towards making India proud.

Whitaker spoke about how public hostility towards reptiles remains a major challenge for conservation efforts. “Snakes are getting killed despite people's attitude towards them. It is important that we look at animals, including snakes, as part of India's heritage. The biodiversity of India is almost the greatest in the world,” he said, stressing the need for more awareness and coexistence.

Whitaker, popularly known as the “Snake Man of India,” traced his fascination with reptiles to early childhood. He recalled that he had first brought a snake home when he was four years old, an incident he said proved life-changing after his mother reacted positively. “It changed my life,” he added.

Born and initially raised in New York, Whitaker said he moved to India at the age of eight and described the country as the “land of snakes,” given its rich reptile diversity. He observed that while most snakes around New York City were non-venomous, living in India required a deeper understanding of snake species. “I had to be careful not to pick up the wrong snake and get bitten. I had to take time to learn about the snakes of India,” he said.

Emphasising how safety and awareness are intrinsic to each other in wildlife conservation, Whitaker said snakes are generally afraid of humans, and mishaps can occur when people accidentally step on them. “We have got to take care that we do not step on them,” he said.

Commenting on India’s ecological wealth, Whitaker said the biodiversity of India is one of the greatest in the world, making conservation efforts critical. He added that reptiles, often dismissed in wildlife protection discourse, play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance.

Whitaker has spent over six decades working in reptile conservation and public education. In 1969, he founded the Madras Snake Park in Chennai, one of India’s earliest institutions dedicated to reptile awareness and conservation.
An American-born herpetologist who chose India as his base of work, Whitaker was awarded the Padma Shri in 2018 by the Government of India for his contribution to wildlife conservation. His work has been focused on reversing fear-driven attitudes and ensuring protection for some of India’s most endangered and misunderstood species.

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