A pioneering initiative by Kālinga Centre for Rainforest Ecology, STORM is for people who have taken the leap from abhorring reptiles to learning and appreciating them.

Be it novice snake rescuers, students, enthusiasts who would like to hone their knowledge or others who want to learn right and ethical methods of handling them, this comprehensive workshop is an open door to learning about reptiles.

UPCOMING WORKSHOP DATES: 

MYSURU: 24th & 25th May 2026 (Sat & Sun)

Who is it for?

  • Snake rescuers
  • Nature Enthusiasts
  • Animal Rescuers
  • Students aspiring to pursue herpetology as a career
  • Agriculturalists
  • Animal Control
  • Photographers
  • Anyone who has more than average interest in wildlife and herpetology
  • Who want to hone their skills in snake rescue and relocation.

what you will learn

  • Introduction to reptiles
  • Snake taxonomy
  • Snake identification methods
  • Rescue techniques using professional equipment
  • How not to rescue snakes
  • Snake release
  • First aid for snake bites
  • Legal issues 
  • Maintaining a stud book
  • Environmental education

CERTIFICATION COURSE

Duration: 2 days (Sat & Sun) | Maximum participants: 25
Eligibility: 18–52 years | Medium of instruction: Simple English

MYSURU

23rd & 24th May 2026 (Sat & Sun) 

Includes

  • Two day workshop
  • Donation to Snake Shyam’s rescue operations
  • Educational materials

Does Not Include

  • Travel to/from Mysuru
  • Travel during rescue operations
  • Food and accommodation (hotel suggestions can be provided on request)

 Venue
The Red Lotus Premium
#12/1A, Industrial Suburb, Manandavadi Road
Opp. Bharath Petroleum, JP Nagar
Mysuru – 570008

For Queries
📞 +91 82968 89160

CHENNAI

To be announced

Includes

  • Two day workshop
  • Nature walk
  • Educational materials
  • Morning & evening tea and snacks (both days)
  • Transport from the venue to the nature walk location

 Does Not Include

  • Travel to/from Chennai
  • Food  and accommodation (hotel suggestions can be provided on request)
  • Personal expenses

For Queries
📧 team@bayoflife.org
📞 Showkath: +91 99404 88880 (WhatsApp preferred)

Led by Experts in Snake Conservation

The workshop is led by Dr. P. Gowri Shankar and M. S. Balasubramania (Snake Shyam), two widely respected figures in snake conservation and rescue in India.

Dr. P. Gowri Shankar, who leads the STORM training programs, will be conducting the workshops in both Chennai and Mysuru. A wildlife biologist studying King Cobras for over two decades, a TED speaker, his work has been featured in documentaries on BBC, Discovery, NatGeo Wild, Animal Planet, Smithsonian, and National Geographic. He completed his PhD at North Orissa University and was an exchange student at Uppsala University, Sweden. In 2015, he was honoured as Herpetologist of the Year by the Swedish Herpetological Society.

M. S. Balasubramania, popularly known as Snake Shyam, is a renowned snake rescuer and conservationist based in Mysuru. He will be joining the Mysuru workshop, sharing insights from decades of snake rescue work and his experience promoting human–snake coexistence. His work has been featured by National Geographic in Croc Chronicles: Snakes, Karma, Action and on the Discovery Channel.

Stormers' Speak