The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-10-31
CATCHING SNAKES IN INDIA.
Queer But Effective Method of Capt
urine Great Serpents.

Menageries are always in need of
snakes. and as India abounds in these
reptiles. perhaps 10 a greater extent
than any other country in the world.
to India go the managers when their
stocks begin to run low. Snake hunt
ing in India, unless one understands
the trade, is Il perilous business. for
larger percentage of the Indian SER
penis are poisonous than il any other
part of the globe. and even Hindoo
has no desire TO die of Snake-bit nor
within the crushing folds of a con-
strictor Besides, however, the demands
from the menaSeries, the Indian gov
eminent pays d bounty on snake heads
so there is a double incentive to Indian
snake hunters, and when there are
sufficient orders on hand from the me-
nagerieS. a hunt is organized on a
grand scale.
Preparations are made by ascertain
ing from the natives promising snake
district. which is usually a tract of
jungle with a thick bamboo or grass
underground In such lands snakes. are
found by thousands and after a prom
ising patch is discovered, a beginning
is made by clearing or burning the un-
dergroWth from a strip entirely encir-
cling the snake farm. then q broad eX-
paHse of perhaps an acre is cleared on
one side and there is located the snake
trap. netting extending from 200 20
300 yards on each side of the cleared
tract, its wings gradually contracting
TO lead the reptiles into a cul de sac
from which there is no escape Several
hundred natives are assembled, and
on a day when the wind is from the
right quarter they surround the district
selected. and, at a given signal, set fire
to the Jungle. After the FIRE has fairly
~ cd hAh ND
the netting, as there is no need of their
services on the other sides, for every
snake tenant of the brush fees in the
same direction toward the fatal net
ting.
Behind it stands rows of men. armed
with clubs and sticks, ready to give
their snakeships a lively reception. As
the fire approaches the netting the
snakes come in crowds, by hundreds.
sometimes by thousands At the wings
the men are concentrated with their
clubs ready to kill those attempting 70
escape, and as the main body Of the
reptiles approaches the netting, the
wings are pushed forward toward each
other the stakes supporting the netting
are driven firmly into the ground and
the snakes are inclosed- But snakes
can climb almost as we'll as monkeys.
and so the men at the wings are kept
busy killing those that endeav0r to es-
cape over the ropes At the cul de sac
the netting extends above as we'll as
on the sides. and the larger portion of
the reptiles are finally concentrated
within this enclosure There the scene
is one of lively animation. for the
snakes are of all sizes, some of the
venomous reptiles Of India not being
more than six or eight inches in length
and, as their movements are very quick
the barefooted beaters are kept lodging
about in manner at once grotesque
and amusing. their anxiety TO escape
the small serpentS that go through the
netting like a fash being even greater
than their eaSerness to kill as many
snakes as possible and thus receive q
larger share OF the government bounty.
No snake is permitted to escape, and
after all the smaller reptiles which can
work their way through the neshes of
the net have been killed. attention Is
turned to the larger which remain.
In various parts of the netting there
are loops which can be united and then
refas tened, and after the slaughter of
the little snakes has been finished the
work of capturing the most prominent
specimens begins. The superintendent
points at an Anaconda that viii bring
a good price and as the animal thrusts
its head against the netting in fruitleSS
efforts to escape a stick with wire
loon at the end is introduced, the snake
is laSsoed Immediately back Of the head
the wire is frightened and the future
occupant of the meuag erie cage, hiss
ing and writhinS, is dragged through