The profession of catching snakes to prepare the famous anti-venom of the people of the Irula tribe – India is at risk of “losing the root” when the younger generation is increasingly … afraid of snakes.
Dressed in simple clothes, Mr. Rajendran calmly put a cobra into a clay pot with only a rudimentary snake-catching stick.
That dangerous act was again part of the daily routine of Mr Rajendran, an Irula tribesman. This is one of the oldest indigenous communities in India, living along the northeastern coast of Tamil Nadu state. Their ancient and extensive knowledge of snakes, along with their skills in catching snakes, is considered an important but under-recognized contribution to the health care system in India.
Sharing while standing next to a signboard about local non-venomous snakes, Mr. Rajendran said: “Many people are afraid of snakes. But we should remember that snakes only care about survival. If we move If we’re agitated, they’ll see it as a threat and maybe attack. If we stand still, the snakes usually go away.”
Rajendran works as a snake catcher and venom worker at the Irula Snake Industry Cooperative Association, founded in 1978 in the coastal village of Vadanemmeli, on the outskirts of Chennai. This association is licensed to keep 800 snakes at a time. “We capture each snake for 21 days and take the venom four times during that time and then release them back into the wild. A small mark is marked on the snake’s belly to avoid re-capturing the same snake multiple times. This mark will disappear after a few times of the snake shedding its skin,” explained Rajendran.
Nearly 50,000 people die from snakebites in India each year, and the most reliable treatment is prompt administration of antivenom. According to the BBC, there are about six companies across India that produce around 1.5 million vials of antivenom a year and most of the venom used in the preparation is obtained by the Irula people.
The Irula tribe is famous for its skillful snake-catching skills. (Photo: ALAMY).
For Mr. Rajendran, his mastery of catching snakes and his deep understanding of the animal stem from his childhood in the forests. Before he was 10 years old, he witnessed hundreds of snakes being caught. The people of Irula often work quietly, even when they are in the jungle with others. Instinctively, they know the importance of faint traces on the ground, thereby deciding whether to continue to follow or ignore. However, people of this tribe are often unable to interpret their own understanding of snakes, even to experts who study reptiles.
For most of the twentieth century, tens of thousands of Irula people made their living hunting snakes for their skins, even though they did not eat the animals. A leather set is paid between 10-50 rupees before it is pre-processed and exported to Europe and the US for use in the fashion industry. In 1972, the Wildlife Protection Act was enacted in India, which banned snake hunting.
Romulus Whitaker, a researcher who has worked with the Irula people for nearly 50 years, said the Irula people began to face difficulties since the law was implemented. The meager money earned from selling snake skins still accounts for most of the monthly income of many Irula families. “I could tell they were almost starving, ” Mr. Whitaker said.
An important turning point came from the establishment of the Irula Snake Catching Industry Cooperative Association, which created legal conditions for locals to use their traditional skills. The skillful snake-catching skills of the Irula people helped them receive an invitation to cooperate from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (USA). Two members of the community, Vadivel Gopal and Masi Sadayan, have traveled to the US to participate in a project to deal with the Burmese pythons that threaten mammals in the Everglades National Park. “The Irula are our best bet,” said Joe Wasilewski, a wildlife expert at the University of Florida (USA).
However, the lives of the people of Irula still face many pressures. Mr. Rajendran worries that urbanization is spreading to Vadanemmeli and commercial establishments are gradually encroaching on wildlife. Chennai now has more than 7 million inhabitants and expands in all directions, threatening to “swallow” the village of Vadanemmeli. Near the snake venom mining area, high-end resorts are springing up. In addition, the World Health Organization recommends that antivenom must be made from fully captive snakes, meaning that demand for the Irula’s skill could be lost because of their expertise. catch wild snakes.
Masi, Vadivel and Rajendran are probably also the last generation of the Irula tribe to have knowledge of this reptile. Most Irula families now want their children to integrate into modern Indian society. Many children of the Irula tribe go to school and no longer go to the forest with their parents. “Many young Irula are now even afraid of snakes,” Mr. Whitaker said.