T.V.L is a well known snake hunter

The Mekong Delta is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of distribtaries. It is dubbed as a "biological treasure trove" with thousands of animal and plant species.

He said he ‘was not born to be a snake hunter’, but decided to earn his living from finding snakes after a drinking bout with a man who taught him how to catch the animals.

During two months of his apprenticeship, L learned how to use bait and medicinal herbs to treat snake bites and what to do in emergencies.

“The most dangerous case is when you meet snakes in pairs. While female snakes are hooked, the male snake waits for you to come and then can bite you,” he said.

L’s instruments include a catching rod, bait and drugs. The rod is made of old bamboo branches, large nylon rope and a hook. He uses mice as bait, while drugs are used in emergencies.

Snakes can be sought all year round, but the high hunting season is in dry season, when snakes often go out to shores and bushes to expose themselves to the sun and seek food.

“You need to successfully guess the ‘houses’ of snakes. And you need to put the hook and bait in places the snakes can discover and go to eat. The places must be quiet and full of brush, because snakes like quiet areas,” he explained.

L works everywhere, from Dong Thap and Can Tho to Hau Giang and Bac Lieu to Ca Mau provinces. He walks at least dozens of kilometers a day.

However, the biggest concern is that he faces risks every day. All snake hunters have bitten by snakes, at least several times.

“I can earn VND5 million one day, but can get a terrible snake bite the next day,” he said. “I had to get poisoned blood out once and then take medication for a bite.”

As for L, the king cobra, or Ophiophagus Hannah, is the most difficult to catch because it is quick and has toxic venom. If the king cobra’s bites are not treated immediately, a person could die. 

“But you cannot seek support from colleagues, because there’s a saying that if you help another treat snake bites, you will sustain misfortune instead of him,” he said.

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