In Chennai

Ever heard of the Irula? They are a tribe in India that used to skin snakes for a living. At some point, the Indian government decided to put a stop to the practice. However, they gave the Irula the option of collecting the venom. So, the Irula became venom collectors. The venom is used to create anti-venom, alleviate pain, and cancer (I am a little dubious of this one; I mean, I bet that gasoline can cure cancer under the right circumstances).

The Irulan guy in this photo has been bitten only once; he showed me the scar; I forgot to ask which type of snake bit him. There are 4 types in this photo: cobra, krate, russell viper, and saw-scale viper. You can see the snake jars in the background.