The Milking Room
At the Irula Snake Catchers' Industrial Co-operative Society near Chennai, trained handlers grip a Russell's viper just behind the jaw and press its fangs against the edge of a latex-covered glass. The snake bites down. Pale yellow venom beads at the fang tips and drips into the collection vessel. The whole event takes seconds. The venom that drips out, a cocktail of phospholipase A2 enzymes, serine proteases, and haemotoxins, can destroy red blood cells, trigger uncontrolled clotting, and liquefy muscle tissue within hours of a bite.
