Romulus Whitaker

Born in New York City Rom migrated to Bombay with his mother Doris Norden and step-father Rama Chattopadhyaya in 1951. In 1969 he set up the Madras Snake Park, and with Zai Whitaker, the Madras Crocodile Bank and with tribal friends set up the Irula Snake-catchers Cooperative to milk snake venom for antivenom. Rom was then contracted by the United Nations to set up crocodile farms in New Guinea, Mozambique and Bangladesh. With his wife Janaki Lenin he produced films for National Geographic and BBC Natural World including 'King Cobra' which won an Emmy Award. Rom and colleagues set up research bases in the Andaman Islands, on the Chambal river and in the Western Ghats. He received the Whitley Award, Rolex Award and India’s Padmashree Award. At 81 years old, Rom works on India’s snakebite problem and lives close to Nagarhole National Park in Karnataka. Rom’s books include Snakes of India and Snakes, Drugs and Rock & Roll with Janaki. Romulus Whitaker