The Irula Co-operative Venom Centre, India

Abstract

When the Indian Government banned the export of snakeskins in 1976, the Irulas - a tribal people whose traditional skills included snake-catching - lost a major source of income. The authors describe how the Irula Co-operative Venom Centre was established to replace this lost income and at the same time exploit a valuable wildlife resource in a way that is apparently sustainable. More research is needed, however, to ensure that the project is viable in the long term. © 1995, Fauna and Flora International. All rights reserved.