TEDxSIBMBangalore
Theme - Challenging The Conventional

With his trademark outfit comprising a bandana and dozens of Rudraksha malas and as many finger rings, half-a-dozen metal bangles and an earring', what would you make of such a person? A "rock star".... No this man is bigger than that, Mysore's own "Naturalist on Wheels" is as popular as the city's Mayor or the former King. In fact' he even has a street named after him and has dedicated its first "urban forest" to him.

M.S. Balasubramaniam, popularly known as Snake Shyam, is a snake enthusiast, wildlife conservationist and lecturer. He is known as a "Naturalist on Wheels." Shyam has been widely recognized for his work. National Geographic featured him in its Croc Chronicles: Snakes, Karma, Action special, while the History Channel recently shot a documentary on his passion and social service. He has caught and released over 40,000 snakes since he began in 1982.

Shyam continues with his first vocation — as an auto driver ferrying children to school and dropping them back. However, he is not deterred by financial constraints and is continuing with his mission. It is fascinating nevertheless to watch him at work; untiring, unyielding, always there for the rescue, always ready to go wherever his mission took him at his own expense, with his limited means. His mobile rings perpetually throughout the day with pleas to rescue snakes. He would simply get into his van, drive to the spot, rescue the snake and keep it in his house until the weekend when he releases all the snakes in the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary. No wonder that in the past decade nobody has killed a snake in Mysore because they know that Snake Shyam is around.

Shyam's van features paintings depicting snakes and also displays his slogans: "Snakes are not as poisonous as human beings" and "Care for the rare".

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