Rahul Alvares, the author of notable works, such as Birds of Goa (co-authored with Heinz Lainer), The Call of the Snake and Free from School (which sparked discussion and garnered attention in various circles) has published another book.
His latest book, titled Snakes of Goa and its other reptiles and amphibians, is a joyful tribute to the diverse world of snakes and reptiles in Goa.
Rahul reveals that he is a passionate individual with interests spanning wildlife, health and motorcycles.
Juggling birding excursions and personal training to earn a living, Rahul indulges in solitary pursuits like motorcycle rides, wildlife photography and Netflix binging during his free time.
Rahul shares that the idea for the book on snakes came from his father, Claude Alvares, adding, “He and my mother (Norma Alvares) have always supported me and my brothers (Sameer and Milind) in all our interests."
"My parents are environmentalists, and for many years, they also ran a successful publishing house, known as the Other India Press. My other books also came due to their strong background in publishing. So, I had a lot of help and encouragement from them to put this book together,” he mentions.
Animatedly, he continues, “I was very excited about bringing out such a book because I felt that it would be very useful for anyone wanting to learn about snakes in Goa. Many people are interested in identifying snakes and knowing what to do when they see one."
"In the past, I was often asked to recommend a good book on snakes for Goa. I never had one. Now I can highly recommend my own!” he says with a smile.
Rahul also discusses a shift in attitudes towards snake rescue and coexistence in Goa.
He says, “In some ways, these are much better times for snakes in Goa. Far more people are sympathetic towards them and are willing to let someone rescue them, instead of killing them on sight."
"The problem, though, is that most people are still fairly ignorant and terrified about snakes and have no idea how to behave around one. Most people haven’t a clue about what to do in the event someone gets bitten by a snake,” he adds.
He asks this very important question, “How can there be harmony between humans and snakes when people continue to remain ignorant about them? Even now, most snake rescue work is only hitting at the symptoms and not addressing the real situation with snakes in Goa."
"I, for one, believe that the problem with snakes in Goa exists only in the minds of people. Once people understand snakes for what they are, most encounters with snakes will be handled in a much better way,” he opines.
Asked about practical tips and guidelines for coexisting with snakes, Rahul slowly pitches in his book.
“If you want to learn more about snakes, get this book!” he says, but on a serious note adds, “Just get onto the internet for starters and start understanding snake behaviour. There's so much information out there that will help you handle encounters with snakes correctly."
"Secondly, if you ever get a chance to touch a non-venomous snake at a snake park, do it. It will completely change the way you feel about snakes,” he reveals.
Rahul doesn’t believe that it is really important to identify snakes. He says, “Regardless of whether you can identify the snake to be venomous or non-venomous, you should not be handling it. It’s simply not necessary."
"If you need to get it out of the house, you could learn how to guide it out of the house using a long stick, or better still, call a snake rescuer. In either case, the method for handling the situation remains the same,” he advises.
Rahul did face the challenge of deciding the value and scope of this book due to the abundance of online information and the increasing popularity of online purchasing, particularly in the context of bookshop closures.
But, he elatedly shares, “The response has been nothing short of amazing. In about a week, we’ve sold almost 200 of our 500 printed copies!"
"The book stands out as it includes only the species of snakes found in Goa. So, that makes identifying snakes easier. The book isn't exhaustive. But, if you see a snake in Goa, then there's a 90 per cent chance that it's in the book," he reveals.
"Secondly, I've used photographs to show the colour and pattern variations exhibited by some species, like ratsnakes and wolfsnakes. Thirdly, this being a coffee table book, we've blown up several images to double spreads," he elaborates.
"I'm hoping that the viewer sees the beauty and diversity of snakes in Goa and it is critical when you're talking about building empathy for snakes,” he adds.
Photographing snakes in the wild can be challenging and potentially dangerous. Rahul hardly finds it worrisome to photograph birds.
He says, “If the bird feels anxious around me, it will simply fly away! Most of the snakes featured in the book are rescued and were photographed just before being released into the wild. Photographing a snake is tricky."
"Firstly, of course, you don't want to get bitten! So you have to be well aware of the snake's striking range, behaviours, etc," he adds.
Secondly, a snake being photographed is really at the photographer's mercy. A snake-handler photographing a snake must realize this and at some point decide when the snake has had enough, and let it go into the wild. This is a very personal thing.
"If I don't get the shots I want within a few minutes, I let go of the snake anyway,” he says.
Imparting advice to aspiring wildlife photographers, Rahul underscores the significance of empathy, stating, “Always be caring with the wild animal you're photographing. The animal is more important than your photograph.”
Lastly, he shares his future endeavours which we need to watch out for, saying, “It will be a coffee table book on the birds of Goa, or a book on insects of Goa.”