Kundhavi Devi's work with reptiles isn't exactly what one would call a regular 9-5 job...

My designation: Educational officer at the MCBT (Madras Crocodile Bank Trust), involved with wildlife and ecological conservation.

Age: 29 years.

What's my job: My job involves activity- based environment education. When school children visit the crocodile bank, I show them around and educate them on the birds and reptiles here - it could be tickling the soft scaly belly of a baby crocodile, stroking a female iguana, holding a sea turtle, or watching the venom extraction from a Cobra.

The modus operandi: We have a target group of 19 to 20 villages around the crocodile bank and we teach children about the importance of wildlife conservation and instil a sense of awareness amongst them. We explain how important and useful reptiles are to the eco system and banish the many myths and superstitions associated with reptiles.

We also take the children on bird-watching trips, plant trees and talk about the ill effects of plastic littering.

During the Oliver Ridley season when sea turtles nest and hatchlings appear, we have mobile exhibitions that stretch down to the coastal villages from the MCBT area and involve the coastal villagers and their children to help the baby Ridley sea turtles survive their early days.

The stepping stones: I have never been scared of reptiles. I read an article in the newspaper about a forum for nature lovers being organised in Chennai called 'Nature Quest' and it mentioned that the Crocodile Bank near Chennai needed volunteers. So, I wrote to the director of the MCBT, Harry Andrews, and expressed my desire to work on Sundays in any way that would be useful to them. He asked me to send my resume and drop in to see him the next time I was there. When I first came here as a volunteer, I read up as much as I could about crocodiles. observed reptiles and was taught how to handle the baby crocs and the iguanas. I took visitors around and while explaining things to them, I learned more on the job.



So You Want To Be A Wildlife Conservationist

Be willing to work with your hands and be fearless about slithery things. The physical rigours of managing a full-grown, live and snapping crocodile can be strenuous and daring.
Expect not to make any money for a while! This means you'll need an alternate source of income, or you will need to work at something lucrative and do the wildlife work part-time.
Be active and enthusiastic. You shouldn't want to do this type of work in theory and end up being a couch potato on the field or a shrinking violet who can't tolerate work in the blazing sun.
Every state, city or region has a conservation centre or an environmental group of some kind. It could even be the local zoo. You could begin by helping out there. And yes! That involves cleaning out the elephant 'poo' and all kinds of other 'goo' from these enclosures.
It really helps to have a degree in herpetology, ecology, zoology and so forth. The animal world is vast and diverse and one can never know enough and everything about it.

Kundhavi Devi spoke to Meenakshi Doctor