M.S. Balasubramania (ಎಂ.ಎಸ್. ಬಾಲಸುಬ್ರಮಣಿಯ), universally known as Snake Shyam, is an Indian snake conservationist, wildlife educator, former counsellor, and lecturer born in May 1967 at Cheluvaamba Hospital, Krishnarajanagara, Mysore State, Karnataka. His father is M.R. Subbarao and his mother is A. Nagalakshmi Mirle; he comes from a Brahmin family and was raised in Mysuru. He is married to Satyavati and their son Surya Keerthi (born 2000) also participates in snake rescue operations. He has multiple snake-themed tattoos on his body and his van features snake paintings and his famous slogans: 'Snakes are not as poisonous as human beings' and 'Care for the rare.' Before becoming a full-time snake enthusiast, he spent 25 years working as an auto-rickshaw driver, using his vehicle to transport school children. His passion for snakes began in childhood when neighbours called on him to rescue a snake without harming it. Self-trained and supplemented by knowledge from herpetology experts such as Romulus Whitaker and J.C. Daniel, he can identify 28-30 local snake species. Over four decades, he has rescued over 86,000 snakes across the Mysore region. He served as a Mysore City Corporation Counsellor from 2013 to 2018. He has also worked as a lecturer and acted in the Kannada film Kalaya Tasmai Namaha (2012) and in the Colors Kannada TV show Gandhari (2015-2016). He was featured in National Geographic's Croc Chronicles: Snakes, Karma, Action, and Mysore became the first city in Asia to be selected for a snake documentary study (National Geographic's Snake City Season 9, 2022) - with Snake Shyam serving as a key collaborator. The city of Mysore has named a street after him and dedicated its first 'urban forest' to him and environmentalist Hyder Ali Khan. He was awarded the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in November 2015. In October 2023, he entered Bigg Boss Kannada Season 10. He was eliminated in Week 1 (Day 6), finishing twentieth and last overall.

Rescuing and rehabilitating 86,000+ snakes over 40+ years in and around Mysore; being a 'naturalist on wheels' known across Karnataka; served as Mysore City Corporation Counsellor (2013-2018); featured in National Geographic's Croc Chronicles: Snakes, Karma, Action and Snake City Season 9 (2022); being honoured with the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award (2015); the city of Mysore naming a street after him; finishing last (20th) on Bigg Boss Kannada Season 10 in Week 1 (2024).

Frequently Asked