Snake-catchers in India harvest venom to save lives

Chengalpettu, 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 that 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.