Snake Shyam (Bigg Boss) Wiki, Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More

Some Lesser Known Facts About Snake Shyam

• Snake Shyam is a person from Mysore, India, who is really passionate about snakes. He’s also a lecturer and used to work as a counsellor at Mysore City Corporation. In addition, he’s a wildlife conservationist. He is most famous for his love and passion for snakes.

• Snake Shyam was born into a poor family in Mysuru.

• Before he started his career as a snake enthusiast, he spent 25 years working as an auto-rickshaw driver, helping children get to school safely.

• Snake Shyam also tried his hand at acting for five years. He had a special role in the movie “Kalaya Tasmai Namaha” (2012).
  

  Kalaya Tasmai Namaha (2012)

• He was also part of the TV show called “Gandhari” on Colors Kannada from 2015 to 2016, where he acted.

• His fascination with snakes began when he was quite young. There was an incident where a snake entered one of his neighbour’s homes. They called him for help, and he asked everyone not to harm the snake. Instead, he personally captured it and released it in a nearby garden.

• Following that incident, starting in 1982, he began to be regularly called upon to handle snake intrusions on people’s properties. He would use a pillowcase and a badminton racquet (without strings) to safely capture the snakes. Although this became a regular job for him, he did it without receiving any payment.

• Shyam had a strong desire to save the snakes and set them free instead of harming them. This commitment resulted in significant expenses for him. To support his efforts, the authorities in Mysore decided to compensate him by covering his telephone bills.

• Up until 2008, Shyam had been bitten by a snake only four times while conducting rescue operations. Unfortunately, during these rescue procedures, he developed an allergy to antivenin, the medication used to treat snake bites.

• Shyam possesses extensive knowledge and can readily identify 28-30 local snake species. He acquired this expertise through his personal experiences. Moreover, he expanded his understanding of snakes by studying the works of experts like Romulus Whitaker, and J.C. Daniel, and by conversing with faculty members from Mysore University.

• In addition to his rescue efforts, Shyam also plays a crucial role in educating people about how to safely handle snake encounters. Furthermore, local hospitals sometimes reach out to him for assistance in identifying snake species when treating snakebite victims.

• Due to his remarkable skills and abilities in rescuing snakes, people often express their gratitude and admiration for him by worshipping him after a successful rescue operation.

• In 2022, the city of Mysore achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first city in Asia to be chosen as the subject of a documentary study on snakes. This special documentary was part of the ninth season of the reality TV show “Snake City,” which aired on National Geographic. The documentary prominently featured the couple Simon and Siouxsie, who are wildlife nature experts. Snake Shyam played a vital role in supporting the team during their wildlife adventure in Mysore.
  

  Snake City (2022)

• In 2023, Snake Shyam took part in the reality TV show “Bigg Boss Kannada Season 10,” which was broadcast on Colors Kannada. The show was hosted by Kiccha Sudeep (sometimes spelled as Kichcha Sudeep).
  

  Snake Shyam as a contestant of Bigg Boss Kannada Season 10 (2023)

• He is also nicknamed “Snake Bite” because his neighbours frequently called upon him to capture and release snakes rather than harm them.

• As of 2019, he achieved a remarkable record of capturing and handling 32,000 snakes.

• Snake Shyam’s vans are adorned with paintings and slogans that convey important messages, such as “Snakes are not as poisonous as human beings” and “Care for the rare.”

• Snake Shyam keeps a logbook where he records the number of snakes he rescues during his operations.

• Shyam is widely recognized for his unique personality. According to a 2008 report from The Hindu newspaper, he is described as “easily the most recognizable character in Mysore.” He is often seen wearing a sun hat, with beads and multiple rings adorning his fingers.

• In August 2023, Snake Shyam made a heartfelt appeal to the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah. He urged for compensation to be provided to the families of fellow rescuers who had lost their lives during various snake rescue operations. Recognizing the risks involved in snake rescues, he also requested the reservation of 10 hospital beds exclusively for victims of snake bites.

• His nickname is Shyam.

• Snake Shyam was just 23 years old when he had his first experience rescuing a snake. He and a girl noticed the snake hiding under a stone, and that’s when he began his journey as a snake rescuer.

• Snake Shyam gained recognition for his work and was featured on National Geographic’s “Croc Chronicles: Snakes, Karma, Action Special” as well as on the Discovery Channel.

• The Mysore City Corporation has honoured Snake Shyam by naming a road after him. Additionally, the city of Mysore (Mysuru) has dedicated its first “urban forest” in recognition of his contributions, along with those of his fellow environmentalist Hyder Ali Khan.
  

  A road in Mysore (Mysuru) named after Snake Shyam

• In March 2013, Snake Shyam was elected to the Mysore City Corporation with the sponsorship of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, due to his involvement in activities that went against the party’s interests, he was expelled from the BJP. Despite running as an independent candidate, he was not successful in subsequent elections.