Irula tribe catches snakes to save lives in India

In this photograph taken on November 11, 2016, a cobra is displayed at the Irula snake-catchers cooperative on the outskirts of Chennai.A small scythe, a crowbar and a bundle of canvas bags are all that Kali and Vedan carry when they venture into the fields of southern India to catch some of the worlds deadliest snakes. Their skills, passed from generation to generation of the Irula tribe they belong to, are crucial for the production of anti-venom in the country with the worlds highest number of deaths from snake bites. / AFP PHOTO / ARUN SANKAR / TO GO WITH AFP STORY: India-health-animal-poverty, FEATURE by Claire COZENS

CHENGALPATTU, India: A small scythe, a crowbar and a bundle of canvas bags are all that Kali and Vedan carry when they venture into the fields of southern India to catch some of the world’s deadliest snakes.

Their skills, passed from generation to generation of the Irula tribe they belong to, are crucial for the production of anti-venom in a country with the world’s highest number of deaths from snake bites.