On the third day Mr
Khaire arrived and immediately made arrangements for me to stay at the
Park in spite of the Park not having accommodation facilities. Several
students came there now and then to work for short stretches of time
but they all had their residences in Pune and went home in the
evenings.
Mr. Khaire is very popular among the workers and is affectionately
called "Anna" ("big brother" in Marathi) by one and all. He always
wears a glove and long sleeved shirt as he lost his left hand to a
Russell's viper bite several years ago. Still, his love for the reptile
world and his enthusiasm for snakes has not diminished one bit.
The Snake Park is quite large and has several snake pits housing
various types of reptiles. In the centre is the administrative building
which is a one storey cottage having on the ground floor a small office
which doubles up as reception area, a room which holds the display
exhibits like the king cobra, python etc., a store room and a toilet.
On the first floor is a large room with two beds. It is here that I
began to stay, with the watchman as company for the night. Anna
installed a small T.V. in the room and also had a phone extension made
to my room. He told me that I was welcome to come over to his place
anytime, to eat or even to stay. However, I preferred being at the
park.
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