Romulus Whitaker

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Romulus Whitaker is a herpetologist, wildlife conservationist and founder of the Madras Snake Park, The Andaman and Nicobar Environment Trust (ANET), and the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust. In 2005 he was a winner of a Whitley Award for outstanding leadership in nature conservation. He is also the founder of the Rainforest Research Station at Agumbe in Karnataka, which is involved in the study of King Cobras.

[edit] Work in India

Whitaker was the founder director of the Snake Park in Chennai. The park was conceived to rehabilitate the Irula tribe who are known for their expertise in catching snakes. The tribals were left jobless after the ban of snake trading. Whitaker helped the Irula tribe to get involved in extracting snake venom used for the production of antivenom drugs. Currently he is associated with the Center for Herpetology, popularly known as the Madras Crocodile Bank. The Crocodile Bank is actively involved in a crocodile breeding program.

His wildlife documentary The King and I made for National Geographic won him an Emmy award. He has also authored several books on reptiles , more specifically on snakes, and has recently co-authored a comprehensive field guide, titled "Snakes of India - The Field Guide" on the Snakes of India.

Whitaker is currently coordinating an effort to save the Gharial (Gavialus gangeticus); a species on the brink of extinction with less than 250 individuals left in Indian waters.

In February 2007, he was the subject of a critically-acclaimed documentary produced by PBS, under their "Nature" banner, on "supersized" crocodiles and alligators, which was filmed in India, East Africa and Australia.