Ahukuntakayo - The Snake People

A documentary by Stefan Quinth. Length 29 min.

Join us as we visit a unique and exciting jungle people on the island of Sri Lanka! That the cobra is one of the deadliest snakes in the world and kills thousands of people every year are not things the Ahukuntakayos people worry about . Here, these snakes are part of the family, part of life. This people's culture and survival are rooted almost wholly in catching and keeping snakes. They earn money as snake charmers in the tourist areas. Indeed, there was a time when Ahukuntakayos people would be called upon to clear gardens and rice paddies of poisonous snakes. But a future as a snake charmer is no longer a certainty for a child in this village. With schooling, the next generation may be able to get more secure employment. But they thereby risk losing their forefathers' skills - and a centuries-old culture.