iHerp Australia Issue 8 | Page 12

“ The best snake catchers in the world .”
" Better than any other snake catchers that I have known ."

Snake Catching in the blood ....

The Irulas of Tamil Nadu .

1 .

John McGrath looks at a people whose lives are inextricably linked with snakes .

“ The best snake catchers in the world .”

Rom Whitaker ; Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for Herpetology .

" Better than any other snake catchers that I have known ."

Professor Frank Mazzotti ; University of Florida .
The Irula people of southern India are an ethnic tribe indigenous to the state of Tamil Nadu , with a total population estimated to be around 50,000 . In the Tamil language the name Irula translates as ‘ people of darkness ’. This is thought to be because of their dark complexion , but could also be due to the fact that it is customary for many of their unique rituals and ceremonies to take place at night . Although basically Hindu , the Irula have retained traditional beliefs in the spirit world . Once predominantly a people of the forest , collecting natural wild resources , the Irula became renowned for their ability to catch snakes and rats , and this became their principal source of income . However , although rats continue to be a major headache for the grain farmers of Tamil Nadu ; destroying up to a quarter of their crops , the Irulas ’ traditional fumigation technique and other methods used to tackle these pests are being lost as their children become better educated and pursue mainstream employment .
Similarly , snake removal and the sale of skins were once crucial to many Irulas ’ livelihood . Then in 1972 , the Indian government introduced its Wildlife Protection Act , which made it illegal for anyone to keep or sell snakes . This legislation was aimed at a rampant and unsustainable trade in snake skins . In his introduction to Volume II of Fauna of British India Malcolm Smith observed that the skins of 5,250,000 reptiles were exported from India in 1932 and 1933 . This insidious business continued unabated until by the late 1960s an estimated ten million skins were exported annually . Although the landmark legislation was completely effective in eliminating the trade in snake skins , there were potentially disastrous flow-on effects for many Irula people ( and snake charmers – see the article in iHerp Australia Issue 4 ). Legendary Indian herper

2 .

1 . Irula tribesman with Russell ’ s Viper . 2 . Irulas with python skins prior to India ’ s Wildlife Protection Act .
3 . Rom Whitaker with Irula friends . 4 . The Irula Co-op : snakes are kept in mud pots for three weeks and then released . Images by Rom Whitaker and Janaki Lenin .