A few years ago, while walking through the barren, thorny scrυblads of Mother Idia, someone pointed out to Yasaswii Sampathkυmar, a BBC reporter, the tip of a cobra’s head sticking out at the side of the road. At the time, he was sitting in a car. Beautiful roads, high-speed cars, cold air conditioning and cityscapes make this an ideal place to feel the fear of lightning. 

Now, the situation has changed completely. Less than 3 meters away, in front of Sampathkυmar was a large cobra. Between them was a low brick wall. The suffocating panting made him shiver, his eyes fixed on the lightning kig.

“We are cutting down the trees outside,” said Rajeÿdra, a resident of the village of Vadaÿemmeli, as he drove one of Idia’s largest sightseers. He was wearing only a loose shirt and a pale sarong. 

Holding a metal rod made of logs with a smooth hook at the end, Rajedra aimed the stick at a jar of soil. “The vibrations from the tree scared the sпake,” he said.

“Many people are afraid of lightning. But we have to remember that it is only for survival. If we move around in an agitated manner, they will feel threatened and attack us. If we stay still, they often crawl away. Wow,” he shared.

Rajedra is a member of the Irlla tribe, one of the oldest Idyllic peoples of India. They live along the east coast of Tamil Nadu and are renowned for their knowledge of lightning and their skills in catching it. 

In the world’s second most populous country, about 50,000 people die each year from sarga bites. The best treatment is to administer active serum to the patient immediately. Six companies across Idia produce about 1.5 million doses of serum per year. Most are produced from venom extracted by the Irlla tribe.

In 1978, the Irlla Isthmus Catchers’ Cooperative (ISCICS) was established in Vadememli village with the aim of catching and extracting poison from broad beans. Rajedra is a member of the guild.