Every year, thousands in India die from snake bites, making the mere sight of a cobra enough to trigger panic. Most flee or attack the reptile out of instinctive fear. But in Kapetakan, a small village in Java, Indonesia, the fear dynamic is tragically reversed—here, it’s the snakes that suffer, not humans.
In this village, snakes are hunted, tortured, and killed—not for safety, but for style. The skins of these deadly creatures are turned into luxury handbags, belts, shoes, and wallets. These high-end products, sold for as much as ₹33 lakh in Europe and the U.S., originate from blood-soaked slaughterhouses that treat snakes as raw material, not living beings.
Recently, harrowing images from a facility owned by a man known as Boss Cobra, or Wakira, resurfaced online, reigniting global outrage. His factory first came under scrutiny in 2013. At his site, cobras and other venomous snakes are skinned alive. Their agony is swift yet brutal—skinned within seconds, some remain alive, dying slow, painful deaths due to trauma or dehydration.
According to reports, about 10 workers operate at Wakira’s factory, sharing a monthly income of around ₹13 lakh. The skins harvested are shipped across Java, where skilled artisans in Comal District transform them into glistening fashion pieces. Their final form may dazzle buyers, but few pause to ask where this shine truly comes from.
The slaughter method is gruesome: snakes are first knocked unconscious by a blow to the head. A pipe is forced down their throats and filled with water to inflate their bodies. A leather rope is then tied around the neck to prevent the water from escaping. After about 10 minutes, the snake is hung from a meat hook, and its skin is peeled off “like a glove.”
The peeled skins are either sun-dried or oven-dried before being sent to tanneries. But skin isn’t the only commodity. Snake meat is also in demand, consumed for taste and believed medicinal benefits. Many Indonesians believe snake meat cures skin conditions, asthma, and enhances male potency.
This industry, hidden behind glamor and gold, raises a chilling ethical dilemma. The profits may be high, but the price paid in suffering is even higher. While the West flaunts these products as symbols of luxury, their origins lie in cruelty few can stomach.
