SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024
Frazer Andrade
SIOLIM: Aaron Victor Emidio Fernandes, a talented artist from Siolim, Goa, has been passionate about wildlife since his school days. As a young boy in Class IV at Saint Britto’s in Mapusa, he was inspired by his vice-principal Fr Joachim Marian D’Mello, who shared his enthusiasm for snakes and reptiles. Since then, Aaron has been a champion for wildlife in distress, attending to calls at any time of the day or night, saving the lives of countless creatures that fall victim to man’s mindless destruction of their natural habitats. From rescuing orphaned baby monkeys from the arms of their mothers killed by speeding vehicles, to rehabilitating injured civet cats and porcupines, to helping various other reptiles caught in sticky situations, Aaron’s big-heartedness has made him a household name in Siolim.
Aaron recalls his foray into the field, at the Goa College of Arts, where many of his seniors were part of a wildlife rescue organisation. His friend Nirmal Kulkarni introduced him to this space, and he soon joined the cause. “In the early 2000s, educating people about coexisting with wildlife was challenging due to a lack of awareness. However, with social media, spreading awareness has become much simpler,” he says.
Today, at 39 years old, Aaron and his team conduct “snake talks” in schools, educating students aged 10-14 about snake identification, do’s and don’ts in case of a snake bite, and debunking myths associated with reptiles. “The goal is to reduce the fear of snakes among young people. Earlier, live snake demonstrations were part of these sessions, but the focus shifted to the thrill of holding the snake rather than the intended message,” he says. Now, the team ensures that the snake demonstration is towards the end of the session to maintain students’ undivided attention.
Besides classroom sessions, Aaron and his team organise overnight camping trips to forests, giving students an immersive wildlife experience. Instead of bringing reptiles to the classroom, youngsters get to go into the forest to observe them in their natural habitat.
When rescuing injured wild animals, Aaron transports them in his personal vehicle to his veterinarian friends for medical attention. He then nurses them back to health at his home in Siolim, which is always full of the chatter of recuperating monkeys and langurs. Once they are strong enough to fend for themselves, he releases them in a location closest to where they were found, ensuring minimal displacement from their original habitat.
Aaron emphasises that animal displacement and human-wildlife conflicts are often caused by merciless tree cutting and unplanned development, leading to the destruction of flora and fauna. In an appeal to rescuers across the country, Aaron says, “Every animal caught is not a rescue. Understand the nuances between people’s fears and actually displacing an animal from its habitat.” He also highlights that deaths due to snake bites in India account for half of the global total, often due to occupational hazards – mostly farmers and rescuers handling reptiles poorly . Annually, a significant portion of the world’s population gets bitten and dies from reptile bites, but the data doesn’t distinguish between occupational-related bites and those sustained from attempts at bravado, he points out.
When it comes to his artwork, Aaron’s creations are characterised by psychedelic patterns and pointillism techniques in shades of black and grey on a white background, creating captivating images using dots. “My works revolve around pattern recognition,” he explains, adding that he works on various surfaces like canvas, walls, paper and even skin - he is also a skilled tattoo artist.
