July 5: The Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary in Trashiyangtse is currently working on a reptilian diversity study project. As part of the project, the sanctuary is collecting dead snakes and lizards at its laboratory. Once the project is complete, they are going to make a list of snakes found in the sanctuary and will come out with a book.

Our reporter Dorji Dema caught up with Sangayla, a forest guard at Bumdeling accompanied by two his colleagues on their way from Tarfey to Tobrang in Bumdeling on their search for snakes.

Our reporter says carrying a hooked handle and a wooden stick, the three men are well equipped should they meet a snake.

With his artistic skills, Sangayla carefully demonstrates how to catch a snake without killing it. He says if the snake is hit on the tail, it is easy to catch without killing it.

Meanwhile the project coordinator Jigme T. Wangyal of Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary said they make frequent trips to the villages and ask for dead snakes and lizards from the villagers. He said when they come across live snakes, they bring it to the Laboratory to confirm the species and then release it back in the forest.

According to the project coordinator, the project will help to identify and preserve various specimen of snakes found in the sanctuary which will immensely benefit the people. He said it will also enable them to differentiate poisonous snakes from non poisonous ones.

The reptilian diversity study project was started in April this year. It is a one year project with funds from Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation.

After its completion, a book on the list of snakes found in the sanctuary with pictures will be published. So far about 15 species of snakes were collected.

Likewise Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary has also completed a similar project on fish and Dragonflies which they say was a big success.