Rom Whitaker had always felt a
kinship with the Irulas. He recalled
that early on he had turned to them
naturally as the only people who
shared his interest in snakes, and that
he had learned so much from them.
Rom had been actively involved in
campaigning for the demise of the
skin export industry, and felt respon-
sible for the plight of the Irula snake
catchers. As a result, he was instru-
mental in founding the Irula Snake
Catchers’ Industrial Co-operative
Society, which is the only organisa-
tion legally empowered to make use
of wild animals in India. The basic
premise was that, using venom
extraction techniques that Rom had
learned whilst working with Bill
Haast at the Miami Serpentarium,
the Irulas could establish a viable
business selling venom for the
production of vital antivenom; thus
saving countless lives and at the
same time providing stable, ongoing
employment for many poor families.
Co-operative Success.
Antivenom production is of the
utmost importance in India, where
snake bite kills an average of
approximately 46,000 people per
year – almost half the global total.
Since the 1970s, Irula tribespeople
have been catching venomous
snakes, which are milked of their
