Parassinikkadavu Snake Park
Encyclopedia
Parassinkkadavu Snake Park is about 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) from Kannur
town in the Kannur district
of north Kerala
, in south India
. The Snake Park is in Parassinikkadavu
, which is 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from National Highway (NH) 17, en route from Kannur to Taliparamba
,
The park houses a variety of snakes and other small animals, including the Spectacled Cobra
, King Cobra
, Russell's viper
, Krait and various pit vipers. There is also a large collection of non-venomous snakes including pythons. The park is dedicated to the preservation and conservation of snakes, many species of which are gradually becoming extinct. In a live show, trained personnel play and 'interact' with a variety of snakes, including cobras and viper
s, and try to quell mythical fears and superstitions about snakes. It has also been proposed that a laboratory to extract venom
from snakes for purposes of research be set up here.
The Snake Park, set up by the Visha Chikista Kendra, is regularly visited by both foreign and domestic tourists. The Kendra also offers effective treatment for snake bites.
Kannur
Kannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
town in the Kannur district
Kannur district
Kannur District is one of the 14 districts in the state of Kerala, India. The town of Kannur is the district headquarters, and gives the district its name. The old name Cannanore is the anglicised form of the Malayalam name Kannur. Kannur District is bounded by Kasaragod District to the north and...
of north Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, in south India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
. The Snake Park is in Parassinikkadavu
Parassinikkadavu
Parassinkkadavu is a small village about 16 km from Kannur town in the Kannur district of Kerala state, south India. It is a popular tourist destination in north Kerala...
, which is 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from National Highway (NH) 17, en route from Kannur to Taliparamba
Taliparamba
Taliparamba is a city and a municipality in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala and spread over an area of 43.05 km2. It stretches from the coastal area of Ramanthali to Nuchiyard and Vayathur villages, touching the Karnataka border.Taliparamba is a big town of 67,000 people...
,
The park houses a variety of snakes and other small animals, including the Spectacled Cobra
Cobra
Cobra is a venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. However, not all snakes commonly referred to as cobras are of the same genus, or even of the same family. The name is short for cobra capo or capa Snake, which is Portuguese for "snake with hood", or "hood-snake"...
, King Cobra
King Cobra
The king cobra is the world's longest venomous snake, with a length up to 5.6 m . This species, which preys chiefly on other snakes, is found predominantly in forests from India through Southeast Asia to the Philippines and Indonesia...
, Russell's viper
Daboia
Daboia is a monotypic genus of venomous Old World viper. The single species, D. russelii, is found in Asia throughout the Indian subcontinent, much of Southeast Asia, southern China and Taiwan...
, Krait and various pit vipers. There is also a large collection of non-venomous snakes including pythons. The park is dedicated to the preservation and conservation of snakes, many species of which are gradually becoming extinct. In a live show, trained personnel play and 'interact' with a variety of snakes, including cobras and viper
Viperidae
The Viperidae are a family of venomous snakes found all over the world, except in Antarctica, Australia, Ireland, Madagascar, Hawaii, various other isolated islands, and above the Arctic Circle. All have relatively long, hinged fangs that permit deep penetration and injection of venom. Four...
s, and try to quell mythical fears and superstitions about snakes. It has also been proposed that a laboratory to extract venom
Venom
Venom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite or a sting...
from snakes for purposes of research be set up here.
The Snake Park, set up by the Visha Chikista Kendra, is regularly visited by both foreign and domestic tourists. The Kendra also offers effective treatment for snake bites.
Getting there
- Nearest railway station: Kannur, about 16 km.
- Nearest airport: KaripurKaripurKaripur is a small town in Malappuram district of Kerala, south India. The place is best known as the site of the international airport of Kozhikode , serving the needs of travellers in the north Kerala region....
International Airport, KozhikodeKozhikodeKozhikode During Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Kozhikkode was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. Kozhikode was once the capital of an independent kingdom of the same name and later of the erstwhile Malabar District...
about 93 km from Kannur.