Buxar: At 23, Hari Om Chaubey of Buxar has earned recognition locally as the “Snake Man of Bihar” for rescuing snakes and helping snakebite victims reach medical care. Over the past six years, he said he has rescued nearly 5,000 snakes and helped more than 150 snakebite victims.A resident of Dalsagar village, Hari Om is pursuing a degree in Wildlife Studies in Kota, Rajasthan. His fascination with snakes began at eight. He suffered his first snakebite while removing a snake from a bathing tank but continued his rescue work.His work later expanded to helping victims reach hospitals quickly. He said he had been bitten by snakes many times. A venomous bite on June 30 last year left him hospitalised for three days and on bed rest for nearly three months, with lasting damage to one leg.“There is a hospital near my village that receives five to seven snakebite cases every day. Saving lives and spreading awareness about snakes gives me immense satisfaction,” he said.Hari Om credits his mother, Nayana Devi, for supporting his work. His childhood friend Rahul Yadav, who left his Army job to join him, now assists him. Together, they also run a rescue centre in Churamanpur for injured and distressed animals.Hari Om said he became determined to protect snakes after seeing villagers kill them when he was about 11. A book, ‘Snakes of India’, which he read at 15, deepened his interest in reptiles.He worked with a popular channel for six months in 2020 but returned to Buxar, stating snakebite deaths required urgent attention. In 2023, then Buxar DM Anshul Agarwal arranged anti-venom injections at Sadar Hospital following Hari Om’s request and also honoured him.Hari Om urges snakebite victims to seek immediate medical care instead of cutting wounds, sucking venom, using tourniquets or consulting faith healers.His goal: “Within the next four to five years, I want to ensure that no one in Buxar dies due to a snakebite.”
