Many of you will already have heard that the inaugural World Congress on Snakes took place at the Grand Kandyan hotel in Kandy, Sri Lanka from 1-4 October 2026. Save The Snakes was honoured to be part of this historic event through the representation of our Research and Conservation Manager, Dr Hiral Naik and several of our Conservation Partners and past grant recipients including, Kamal Devkota, María Elena Barragán-Paladines, Tharanga Dasanayake, Evan Quah, Syahfitri Anita, Nathan Rusli. We were also proud to be an official sponsor of the event and also provide funding for several students to attend.
Chaired by veteran Sri Lankan herpetologist Dr. Anslem de Silva, the congress brought together over 400 herpetologists, ophiologists, researchers, and conservationists from more than 45 countries. Featuring 16 plenary sessions, 8 symposiums, over 200 oral and poster presentations and 8 book launches, it was a great opportunity to reconnect with familiar faces, reunite with dedicated partners and form new collaborative partnerships and friendships. Sri Lanka was selected as the host nation due to its extraordinary reptilian diversity, boasting 112 snake species—many of which are endemic—and its status as a critical region for snakebite research. The congress aimed to translate high-level biodiversity science into practical conservation actions and improved clinical protocols, bringing together a multidisciplinary community of scientists, veterinarians, wildlife managers, and policymakers.
During the congress, Hiral delivered a presentation titled “Uniting science and society to advance global snake conservation.” In her talk, she highlighted how Save The Snakes bridges the gap between scientific research and public perception to reduce human-snake conflict and foster coexistence. By combining ecological data with community outreach and education, we can transform human attitudes, reduce the persecution of snakes, and build healthier, safer communities. Her presentation emphasized a core truth: effective snake conservation requires changing human behaviour and empowering local communities through collaboration and coexistence. Sharing actionable solutions on a global stage was deeply inspiring and together, we are building a safer future for both people and snakes!
Save The Snakes was also proud to sponsor Kamal Devkota to attend the congress. Kamal presented on his Northern King Cobra research on the ‘First record of twin nesting in the Northern King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) from Nepal: Ecological Insights and Conservation Implications’. He also had the opportunity to present his documentary on the Nepal Snake Festival and the success of the event in Nepal and its importance in mitigating human-snake conflict and snakebite mitigation. It is great to see Kamal’s work grow and shared on such influential platforms.
During the IUCN SSC Snake Specialist Group meeting at the congress, renewed goals have been set for the next quadrennium 2026-2029, and we are excited to be part of this group to achieve the goals and work together with other members including being involved with the human-snake conflict and coexistence task force. It was very exciting to see so many people around the world working on human-snake conflict issues and we hope to collaborate with many individuals and organisations to inform policy and decision-making and implement effective solutions to live in coexistence with snakes.
A post congress herping tour to the knuckles mountain ranges completed the trip to the beautiful country of Sri Lanka and we look forward to attending the next World Congress on Snakes and sharing updates on our work from around the world.
