Pambu Murugan, the snake charmer who had captured nearly 20,000 snakes and saved many a lives in the last three decades, died here this morning.

What started as a passion when he was just 12, Murugan (52) later made capturing snakes as a profession and in the last 35 years he had captured more than 20,000 snakes, including most poisonous ones, his family said.

Many offices, police stations, schools had sought his help to capture snakes, such as cobra and viper. In the process, he had also saved many people from snakebites. A poisonous snake had bitten him in 2012 while he was trying to bring it out from a hole. He was hospitalised and the district administration extended financial and medical assistance to him at that time. “He used to release the snakes in the jungles or hand over them to the forest department. He has never harmed or killed the snakes,” they said.

Murugan used to take anti-venom treatment at regular intervals, to prevent poison entering his veins.

Murugan, who was bedridden for the last two days, is survived by wife, a son and a daughter.