If you asked a group of people what they fear most, snakes would undoubtedly be mentioned at least once.
However, UNE Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Science, Dr Kalana Maduwage, says while a fear of snakes is understandable, there is so much more to these fascinating creatures that should be appreciated.
From keeping snakes under his bed as a teen growing up in Sri Lanka, to now investigating how snake venom can be used to treat life-threatening diseases, this is the story of Dr Maduwage and his lifelong love of snakes.
What made you want to study snakes?
I have always loved snakes. I remember as a high school kid I kept some non-venomous snakes under my bed in my bedroom, with huge resistance from my family members, but I enjoyed them so much, and loved to observe them. Then, when I became a clinician and a university academic, I wanted to continue my research into various aspects of snakes, which include snake identification, the discovery of new species, the study of their venom, what happens to people when they are bitten and how to treat them, and most importantly, how we can conserve this group of animals that are feared by so many people.
What was it like learning to handle snakes yourself while growing up and working in Sri Lanka?
There are two sides to working with snakes. It’s enjoyable and it’s interesting, but it’s dangerous. Therefore, you have to keep the balance between your interest and safety while working with snakes. I was bitten three times from venomous snakes, because I had to develop my own skills in snake handling at the very beginning of my snake venom research. All three bites were venomous, but luckily, I survived as they weren’t very severe. How I started my journey is quite different to what is recommended, because in Sri Lanka, there is no place to buy snake venom for research. That is not the case in Australia, so, I do not recommend anyone to handle snakes and collect venom for research without having proper training and licensing.
Why is it important to conserve snakes?
As humans, snakes are part of our environment. Therefore, snakes are as important as every other animal. Like elephants, whales, dolphins, and other much-loved creatures, snakes are an integral group of animals in our ecosystem. Snakes play a vital role in keeping our environment balanced and tidy, and in an equilibrium. Most of the time we can’t see this, but behind the scenes, every single animal plays a part in food chains and food webs, therefore, the conservation of snakes is important to maintain the balance in the environment.
You also have extensive experience studying snake venom. Why is this an important area of research, and what do you hope to do in this space at UNE?
Snake venom itself is fearful, because it can be dangerous in certain scenarios. However, snake venom can have a lot of powerful, healing proteins and toxins.
There are certain groups of scientists in the world that are working hard to find out these treatment-based components in snake venom. Some studies have tested how snake venom can be used to fight cancers, heart attacks and other diseases associated with circulation, Alzheimer’s disease, and also to treat pain. To me, snake venom is a treasure trove of bio-active components.
My intention at UNE is to establish a quality laboratory to explore and discover these highly important treatment components.
How did you get into this area of research?
I started my research on snakes nearly ten years ago by identifying snakes and discovering new species of snake. So far, I have discovered three new species of snakes from Sri Lanka.
After that I decided to shift my research to studying snake venom as I found that there were very few studies that had been done in Sri Lanka on this topic. So, I started analysing the various aspects of snake venom and exploring how snake venom toxins can destroy and damage the human body, as well as how to treat snake bite patients and save their life before it’s too late. While in Sri Lanka, I worked on a project to develop a new antivenom for Sri Lankan snake bites. We were successful up to a certain level, but the project was unfortunately put on hold due to financial limitations.
Despite the beneficial qualities of snakes, many people are fearful of snakes. What is your message to those who might be scared of snakes?
Through evolution, our minds and our brains were programmed to fear snakes. That’s a protective mechanism for every human, which is why fear is with every one of us when it comes to snakes. That doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy snakes. My key message to everyone is that it doesn’t matter if you have a fear of snakes, you can still read about snakes, and you can enjoy snakes without touching or being near them. By building up your knowledge and changing your attitude towards snakes, we can help conserve these important animals, prevent snake bites, and save the lives of thousands of people who get bitten by snakes all around the world.
