Bengaluru, 31 May 

To bring more awareness about snakebite prevention as well as to prevent snake persecution, a first-of-its-kind WhatsApp chatbot has been launched in Karnataka’s Mysuru.

Incidentally, in February, Karnataka also became the first State in India to declare snakebite as a notifiable disease.

The chatbot, launched by Humane Society International (HSI) India in collaboration with The Liana Trust, an organisation that engages in conservation efforts by educating people, provides easily accessible information about snake species found in Mysuru.

 “Snakebite is a mass problem which requires a mass solution. As per our survey in the Mysuru district, WhatsApp is one of the most used digital apps. Hence, this is an easy platform to reach many people with vital information that could save human lives and prevent snake persecution. Just as preventing a bite from occurring is important, knowing the right first aid once a bite occurs is crucial too,” said Vinod Krishnan, Human-wildlife Coexistence Manager at HSI India.

The automated chatbot, accessed via a QR code or messaging 'Hi' to +91 9154190472 disseminates engaging visual content in English or Kannada, making it easy to understand.

India witnesses 10 lakh snakebites a year leading to nearly 58,000 human snakebite-related deaths annually and nearly 2 lakh cases of morbidity. Karnataka alone reported 6,500 snakebites in 2023, stated a press release issued by HSI India. -PTI