An Indian snake-catching tribe has been saving people’s lives for decades with its contributions to the production of antidotes.
The Irula Snake-catchers’ Cooperative is named after and started by a tribe of the same name located on the outskirts of the southern city of Chennai. Since the cooperative began in the 1970s, it has revolutionized the treatment of snake bites in India.
The country reportedly records the world’s highest number of annual deaths from snake bites.
The venom of each caught snake is harvested four times, before the reptile is released back into the nature. The venoms are then injected into horses that produce antigens used for producing a common antidote for all snake bites.
India houses over 200 serpent species including the four most poisonous snakes in the world.
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