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        Forest authorities have appealed to people not to kill snakes that stray into residential neighbourhoods but call in rescuers to take them away.

        'When snakes are found they should immediately alert the helpline so rescuers can come and get the snake and leave it more than 100 kilometers away from the residential areas,' forest range officer Sathyamurthy said.

        He said around 500 venomous and non venomous snakes were caught in six months in and around Nanmangalam area this year.

        'Nanmangalam and it's surroundings like Kovilambakkam is a expanding suburb which encounters varieties of snakes such as rat snakes and cobras besides a few chequered keel backs, russell's viper, wine snakes and saw scaled vipers in large numbers,' the officer said.

        It's fear that provokes people to kill snakes. Often it's the non-poisonous ones that account for nearly 90 per cent of the snakes we see around us in the suburbs, which are mercilessly killed, he said

        'Cobra, is the most shy of all reptiles, such facts should be taught to people particularly children, which would help to remove blind beliefs and sense of fear about snakes' Sathyamurthy added.

        J Manickavel, a snake rescuer said, 'snake evokes fear and curiosity or we could say it is the most misunderstood reptile killed unnecessarily. People should not panic, when they see a snake, as most of the species found are non-venomous'.

        But residents seem to justify their reasons for killing snakes that sneak into their homes.

        Raghu a resident of MGR street says that two of his dogs became a prey to a seven feet cobra.

        Janani G of Loganathan street said, she encountered a cobra in her kitchen and neighbours were called for help who killed it.

        P Muthu, a snake rescuer blamed cinema and TV serials for propagating myths about snakes.

        Snake experts say residents in the suburbs should keep their compounds and surroundings free of weeds, shrubs and bamboos as they are ideal places for reptiles to hide.

        Call snake helpline at 22200335 when you spot a snake in your neighbourhood.