A snake sighting in Madhya Pradesh may trigger something more useful than panic: a request for a trained rescuer, guidance on where to seek treatment, and a record of where the animal is ultimately released.
The state's Forest Department is preparing to launch SHIVAA, a digital platform designed to make snake encounters safer for both residents and the animals, as closer contact between people and wildlife continues to grow in parts of India.
Here's what to know
According to The New Indian Express, officials expect to launch SHIVAA during Wildlife Week, which runs from Oct. 2 to 8.
If a user spots a snake, the app is meant to connect them with the nearest trained rescuer who is officially registered.
In a state that records a high number of snakebite deaths, the Forest Department is presenting the app as a public safety measure as well as a rescue service. It is being developed to provide information on snakes, explain what people should and should not do during an encounter, and offer first aid guidance after a bite.
It will also help users find nearby medical facilities where snake antivenom is stocked.
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More background
Beyond linking residents with rescuers, SHIVAA is intended to create a formal digital trail for rescue operations.
The platform is expected to store records on registered rescuers, including their training and proficiency levels, which The New Indian Express said would help the Forest Department ensure that rescue work is being done by authorized personnel.
It is also supposed to log each rescue digitally, capturing details such as the location, species, rescue status, and final release. That information could help officials identify the areas seeing the most rescues and snakebites, allowing them to better focus awareness efforts and response planning.
The New Indian Express reports that officials have received inputs suggesting some informal rescuers may be keeping snakes outside supervised forest release channels and that some animals may instead be traded, especially for venom.
What's being done?
Training is also part of the plan.
According to The New Indian Express, the Forest Department is preparing lessons on safe snake rescue and release for police home guards, frontline forest staff, and volunteers.
Forest official Sameeta Rajora said rescued snakes will be moved under set protocols, including relocation to protected or designated forest zones overseen by the Forest Department.
The initiative also draws on approaches already adopted in other parts of India.
As reported by The New Indian Express, Kerala rolled out its SARPA app in 2020 to track rescues and releases, while Tamil Nadu introduced the NAAGAM app in July 2025 to coordinate certified reptile rescues and record release data.
As Rajora described it, the platform is a "human interface, vigilance, awareness and action application."
"We communicate, we cooperate and we accept supervision," Rajora said, per The New Indian Express. "The SHIVAA App will play a pivotal role in establishing effective coordination among public safety, snake conservation, rapid rescue operations and scientific snakebite management."
Where can I learn more?
Madhya Pradesh's proposed snake response system reflects a broader challenge: More wildlife encounters are forcing officials to respond faster and more safely. In India and beyond, closer contact between people and wild animals is putting new pressure on rescue systems, public awareness, and conflict prevention.
• In Karnataka, the dangerous rise of wildlife encounters has intensified warnings about human-animal conflict.
• Across urban areas, the potential for conflict is growing as wildlife sightings increase.
• Across California parks, a uniquely destructive wild animal keeps managers struggling to contain damage.
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