Snake Shyam

M. S. Balasubramania (alt spelling Balasubramanya; born 1967), popularly known as Snake Shyam, is a snake enthusiast, wildlife conservationist and lecturer in Mysore, India. He was elected to the Mysore City Corporation in 2013, a role he served until 2018.

Though not a trained herpetologist, Shyam is known throughout the Mysore region as a "naturalist on wheels". He rescues and rehabilitates snakes and educates the public about them. He is also sometimes consulted by local hospitals to identify a species of snake prior to treating a snakebite victim.

Shyam has been widely recognized for his work. National Geographic featured him in its Croc Chronicles: Snakes, Karma, Action special. Mysore city has named a street for him and has dedicated its first "urban forest" to him and fellow environmentalist Hyder Ali Khan.

Shyam is also known for his personal flamboyance and has been described by The Hindu as "easily the most recognisable characters [sic] of Mysore, complete with his sun hat, overflowing beads and multiple rings that adorn his fingers". He demonstrated his interest in snakes at an early age, when a snake invaded a neighbor's home. After convincing those around not to kill the snake, he caught it and released it into the garden. From this incident, he earned his nickname.

Avocation By profession, Shyam was a driver, transporting children to school, but beginning in 1982, he began to be frequently called upon to retrieve snakes that had encroached on people's properties, a job for which he receives no pay.

In 2019, he completed another record by catching 32,000 Snakes.

Snake Shyam (in red shirt) with the local people after a 'snake encounter'