Smart Snake-Trapping Device

• 23 Aug 2023

Why in News?

According to information received from the media on August 22, 2023, research students at the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun, Uttarakhand, have developed a snake-catching device, which will catch a snake without harming anyone in the blink of an eye.

Key Points:

• The project, named Smart Snake-Trapping Device, has been approved by the Department of Science and Technology of the Central Government. Now permission has been sought from the university to test the device at the Wildlife Institute of India and the Forest Research Institute.
• The project, named Smart Snake-Trapping Device, has been approved by the Department of Science and Technology of the Central Government. Now permission has been sought from the university to test the device at the Wildlife Institute of India and the Forest Research Institute.
• Dr. Neelu Jyoti Ahuja told that the development of this device can be used in reducing the cases of snakebite death and in the development of anti-venom drugs.
• This device is specially designed for safe handling of snakes. It is equipped with an artificial prey, microcontroller, camera with GSM module and image processing algorithm, which can catch snakes in a very safe way, whereas till now snake stick etc. are used with traditional methods to catch snakes.
• He informed that permission has been sought from the Uttarakhand Forest Department for testing the device at Wildlife Institute of India and Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, so that the testing of the device can be completed.
• In this regard, Chief Wildlife Warden Dr. Sameer Sinha said that the letter received from the institute has been sent to the government for permission.
• It is worth mentioning that under Indian Wildlife (Conservation), it is necessary to take the permission of the state government for research etc. on any wildlife. In this sequence, a letter has been sent to the government through the Chief Wildlife Warden on behalf of the university.