Let me start with a question. Have you ever seen a SNAKE MILKER? Don’t worry if you have not seen one yet. In this post we will talk about a dangerous but unusual science career known as snake milker. Right from childhood, we have a close touch with animals that produce milk. Our grandparents milked them for home or commercial purpose.
However that is not the case anymore. As most people rely on packed milk, but in some areas though the milkman still delivers fresh cow or goat milk.
Now coming back to our question – “Have you seen a Snake Milker?” This question pops another question that is “Do snakes have a milk?”
The Deadliest Profession:
A Snake Milker is a Specialist whose profession is to extract venom from snakes and other reptiles. The purpose of collecting venom is to do research in medical fields and antivenom production for snake bites.
BBC reports that there are more than 2.8 million snake bites take place in India every year. The snake bites cause more than 40000 deaths and 1 lac plus disabilities in India alone. In other words India is considered the Snakebite Capital of the World. An IISC prof, himself states that the snakebite treatment in the country is inadequate.
There are more than 270 species of snakes in India, and more than 55 species are considered Venomous. Farmers are most exposed to snake bites. During my childhood, I have seen many people who worked in paddy fields and had to suffer a lot because of snake bites.
Anti-Venomous treatment is the most common treatment prevailing throughout the country. However, Antivenom is available only for the four species like cobra, saw scaled viper, Russell’s viper and krait. Latest research says, this deadly venom is used to treat strokes and malignant tumors. To meet the need, venom extraction has become mandatory.
Where do they Work?
Snake milkers are usually appointed in Serpentariums or labs, Snake Parks, Universities or Research centres. Milking venom is not the only responsibility of a snake milker. There are other duties that include conservation, breeding, and research activities.
The snake milking labs are located in Zoos, Universities, research centres. In some cases small independent facilities offer the services on a contractual basis.
What job roles do they perform?
The job role involves shifting venomous snakes to the labs and milking them through a standard procedure. This involves the snake biting the jar that has latex spread over it.
There are two ways to extract the venom. The first is electric stimulation in the lab. The snake milker contracts the muscles around the venomous glands by massaging. The snake bites the jar and deadly venom is collected in the jar. The venom is yellow in color.
In the Second instance the venom is freeze-dried. It is then used by or sold to pharmaceutical companies laboratories and universities for research and production.
An expert in the matter says, his team can milk 40-50 snakes in a day. Four to five times in a week, and he himself has received 11 snake bites in his long career of 27 years.
What is the average salary & demand for this career?
Now would you like to know the demand and salary in this dangerous but unusual science career. Snake Milkers make around $2500 per month in the US, that is approximately $26 per hour. However in Australia or in India there is no fixed salary for Snake Milkers.
The demand for Anti-venom is really high, as per estimate 20 to 100 vials are required to treat a snake bite. The process of making anti-venom may seem simple, like milking the venom, injecting it to horses and collecting the antibodies from them.
But the high quantity needed brings in the demand. The growth of this career is expected to be 5% by 2030, but the number of openings will be few and there is no visible growth in the career ladder.
What are the mandatory Educational Qualifications?
Students with a strong base in Biology, Mathematics and Chemistry can consider this niche. Chemistry will be useful to understand the chemical properties of the venom. Whatever educational background one has, it is mandatory to have intensive practice only then it is safe to pursue this dangerous but unusual science career.
Zoologists too can opt for a specialisation in Herpetology (the branch of biology concerned with reptiles & amphibians). Degrees related to toxicology, environmental chemistry, or any related science degrees will open up to this career.
Snake Parks and the Research Centres in India:
There are 5 best snake parks in India. They house venomous species. Chennai Snake Park at Guindy, is the most famous. The other parks include Parassinkkadavu Snake Park, in Kannur Kerala, Katraj Snake Park in Pune, Calcutta Snake Park in West Bengal and the Bannerghatta Snake Park in Bengaluru.
Soon the Indian Venom Research Institute will be set up in Bengaluru. It will be housed in the premises of Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology (IBAB) at Helix Biotech Park. In association with Evolutionary Venomics Lab under the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). The Central Research Institute (CRI) located in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh is a pioneer in production of vaccines, anti-venom and anti-rabies for medical treatment.
There is no doubt that Snake Milker Job is one of the dangerous and deadliest professions, but it has saved millions of lives. Not everyone can do this job. If you are an adventure seeker who loves to work with animals, you can definitely opt for this rare career.
Now do you agree that being a snake milker is a dangerous but unusual science career. To know about more such career options in field of science, or to find out the best suitable career for you, seek guidance from career experts such as Amaze Career Counseling.