After global recognition at the National Geographic Society’s 2026 Slingshot Challenge, Snake Speak plans to expand its snake conservation and awareness efforts Beyond fear Sampath Kanthimahanti educating a farmer on snakes in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Nivedita Ganguly nivedita.ganguly@thehindu.co.in A youth-led conservation initiative from Andhra Pradesh has received global recognition at the 2026 Slingshot Challenge organised by the National Geographic Society and Videos for Change. ‘Learning to Coexist with Snakes’, developed under the project Snake Speek by wildlife enthusiast Sampath Kanthimahanti, received an Honorable Mention and was recognised among the 50 entries globally from over 2,300 submissions across 104 countries.The recognition has brought renewed attention to the project’s ongoing efforts to reduce fear, myths and human-snake conflict through awareness programmes, rescue support and educational outreach in rural regions of Andhra Pradesh.Snake Speek began as an awareness initiative aimed at changing public perception towards snakes, particularly in regions where snake encounters are common and often result in panic, unnecessary killing of snakes or unsafe rescue attempts. Over the years, the initiative has conducted awareness sessions among rural communities and students, focusing on coexistence, snake identification, first aid awareness and responsible wildlife practices.

While a proposed scientific snakebite analysis survey covering regions such as Palakonda, Seethampeta, Odisha border areas of the Eastern Ghats in coastal Andhra Pradesh and Selakui in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, was appreciated during the Slingshot Challenge evaluation process, funding support for the project has not yet been approved due to certain limitations in evaluating smaller-scale proposals. Despite this, the team plans to continue strengthening its grassroots conservation efforts.“At present, the project mainly continues through conservation strategies that focus on reducing fear and myths surrounding snakes while promoting coexistence through awareness programmes, educational content and rescue support. We are seeing a positive impact slowly,” says Sampath.The initiative is now planning to expand its activities further by introducing rescue training programmes, scientific publication awareness sessions and research-oriented educational workshops for students. These programmes are expected to be guided by professors from DBS Global University and doctoral fellows associated with the project. According to Sampath, one of the major goals is to encourage scientific curiosity and responsible conservation practices among young students and communities living close to forested landscapes. Conservationists point out that awareness-based approaches are becoming increasingly important in regions where human-wildlife interactions are rising due to habitat pressure and expanding settlement