Snake

It’s not venomous, not rare, and not flashy. But it might just be one of Kerala’s most important wild neighbours. Could naming it the state reptile help us finally see it with respect?

Aaliya Mir spends her days rescuing deadly vipers from Kashmiri homes, saving bear cubs and reuniting them with their mothers.

In India, seven people who have returned from China have displayed mild symptoms of this virus; Kerala health ministry reports that they have been kept under observation.

“People who kill them have no idea about the importance of snakes in our ecosystem. Snakes tend to get defensive and react aggressively. Perhaps the seeds of wanting to do something for snakes were sown when, as a young girl, I saw people kill snakes. It left a profound impact on my mind.”

Men from the famed Irula tribe are helping officials in Florida deal with a deadly python problem.