Cobra in my Kitchen

Zai Whitaker's family includes several conservationists and naturalists, such as the bird man Salim Ali. She was married to the snake man Romulus Whitaker for twenty years, and together they worked for the conservation of many endangered Indian reptiles. The Crocodile Bank in Chennai, which they set up, is an important crocodile breeding and research centre. They traveled to many fascinating parts of the world including Papua New Guinea.

Zai who is also a writer has been inspired by her exotic life to write books like, Andamans Boy, a children’s novel about a Mumbai boy who joins the Jarawa tribe of the Andaman Islands. Snakes Around Us, a small guide to common snakes, Kali and the Rat Snake about a boy from the Irula tribe, and Croc Fever, a wildlife travelogue about Papua New Guinea. She has also penned two biographies and a novel, Up the Ghat. She is currently finishing a book of animal poems.

She is Principal of Outreach School, Bangalore and is also involved with a project for women of the Irula tribe. Puja Goyal caught up with Zai, on a short conversation on her new book Cobra in my Kitchen, at her institution…

Zai Whitaker; Copyright © 2005 Puja Goyal.

When did you start writing about reptiles, not many people write with animals as main characters nowadays…

My father was a naturalist and that influenced my writing. When I got married to a naturalist, and worked with my husband, I realized that there are so many species growing extinct and one has to do something about it. We went to Kerala where we discovered a new species of turtles, which we thought were extinct. So these types of discoveries and experiences have contributed to my writing in a non- scientific way.

Are reptiles really repulsive…?

Snakes like crates are really dangerous, and yes, when I married and came to Chennai, I could see my neighbors getting really ill because of the fright that snakes bring in our minds. Snakes have a dynamic effect on people and they are naturally scared of snakes. They have no feet and crawl about… they look creepy… so on and so forth. The fact of the matter is that many of them are toxic and it is true that if you are bitten by one of them there are chances that you will die. And these are reasons enough for anyone to be afraid. That’s why it is important to know which one is poisonous and which ones are not. It is also important to know what should be done if you're bitten by a poisonous snake. There is a natural hysteria about snakes… and people do not think that these snakes need to be protected because they are a part of our surroundings.

Tell us a little about Cobra in my Kitchen

I very much wanted to write a book for both young people and not so young people and share my experiences with them. Take for example the story Kali and the Rat Snake … the story is true and happens over and over again. The Irula tribe that Kali belongs to is always socially marginalized and looked down upon because they are snake catchers and eat rats, but they become instant celebrities when they are needed to catch a snake… Similarly, I have also written about how families along with their kids, go snake hunting in the forests…

What would you recommend for reader who would like to read books on animals…

Gavin Maxwell and Gerald Durrell are two of my favorite authors, and I think everyone should pick them up.

Source: Vijay Times, BVT LifeStyle - 4.
Copyright © 2005 Puja Goyal.