25th February
by Dr Tom Tran
It has been many moons. The end of the course is approaching. I am both deeply saddened for everyone in our cohort will soon part ways. But there is no time to be sad for there are many practical and lectures that must be completed, as well as an exam at the end of the day that we have spent many days preparing for.
First thing on the menu was Dr Parag’s wisdom on physical restraint tools and techniques, with a particular focus on minimizing trauma and maximizing capture rates with type of traps and methods. This was followed up with an excellent demonstration of how different traps function as well as considerations when setting these up in free ranging situations. We then learned a systematic way to identify snakes in the field. Being from Australia I had a little bit more exposure to snakes but even then I have learnt a lot. This was followed by a practical and demonstration on how to handle live venomous snakes. Dr Gowri then expertly demonstrated to us on how to safely restrain crocodiles and collect reptile eggs correctly. We then need to meditate on the exam. The exam was good and helped consolidate everything. We then rush to prepare for the last leg – the presentation.