Romulus Whitaker: A Life Less Ordinary

Video Published : Oct 01, 2020 Updated : Sep 26, 2023
He’s hugged crocodiles, rescued snakes, and even snuck two king cobras on a long-distance train. Watch Roundglass Sustain Editor-in-Chief Megha Moorthy interview the Snake Man of India
He’s hugged crocodiles, rescued snakes, and even snuck two king cobras on a long-distance train. Watch Roundglass Sustain Editor-in-Chief Megha Moorthy interview the Snake Man of India

Romulus Whitaker has had an illustrious career, spanning three exciting decades. He is one of India’s leading herpetologists and wildlife conservationists, founder of the Madras Snake Park (1972) and the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust (1976), filmmaker and writer. But above anything else, Rom is a fantastic storyteller. Watch this two-part interview.

PART I: Rom shows us around the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust that he set up in 1976 on the outskirts of Chennai. Hear him speak of his childhood, the unconventional parenting principles of his mother, his work towards mitigating snakebites, and his deep love for an 18-foot croc called Jaws.


PART II: Romulus Whitaker takes us on a walk through his 12-acre home, that he shares with his wife, dogs, snakes, and the occasional leopard. Hear him speak of his filmmaking years, conservation, and what it is like to live in the heart of wilderness.


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Sustain Team

Sustain Team

We are a driven group of people from diverse backgrounds, bound by an abiding love for India’s natural world.

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