$$ Controversial Experiment Involving Beavers Still Divides Experts To This Day
People often associate fur trapping with violence against innocent animals, and it makes sense why. Forcibly trapping a nearly-defenseless animal just to skin it for its fur is enough to make anyone wary of the practice. However, there's actually a little-known bright side to trapping that has nothing to do with greed at all. In the late 1940s, Idaho fur trappers captured a bunch of beavers, and what they did with them would probably make modern day animal activists' jaws drop.
Beautiful Fur-Bearing Animals
“We value the skins of fur-bearing animals for their beauty, warmth, and their durability,” the narrator of a 1950 documentary about fur trapping says over footage of a man petting a fur coat. These words ring true today, though for a much different reason.
Fur & Fashion
Fur trapping for fashion purposes is still common in some places, but it’s mainly seen as a bygone practice from less compassionate times. Nowadays, we value animal fur for the beauty, warmth, and durability it provides for the animal...until they get in our way, that is.
Payette Lake
Even today, humans have a habit of disrupting the homes of muskrats, beavers, and other woodland creatures if they happen to wander too far onto “our” land. And after World War II, all families living around Idaho’s Payette Lake had one thing on their minds: expansion.
Putting Down Roots
It may not seem like such a big deal, a family putting down roots in a quiet rural area. But as Payette Lake’s families dug irrigation lines, claimed land for construction, and laid the foundation for their own lives, they had no clue that they were actually building on top of someone else’s home.
Getting Crowded
We’re talking about beavers, of course. Much to the discomfort of both parties, Payette Lake’s beaver population and human population started to overlap. With beavers beginning to “tamper” with irrigation and agriculture, the humans realized that they had to do something about their nosy neighbors, and fast.
The Department of Fish and Game
So, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game stepped in. They had to come up with a way to safely and humanely move the beavers to a different location that would be large enough for them to expand their own families. Thankfully, the Department had handled this kind of thing before.
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Relocating the Beavers
When beavers start to get in the way of human life, according to the 1950 documentary, they are “live trapped” and moved somewhere else where they can help “conserve water, provide fishing pools, and populate empty regions.”
Tricky Transportation
But the problem wasn’t finding a suitable new home for the beavers — there was more than enough wilderness to go around, apparently — but getting them there in the first place. The Department knew from personal experience that simply trapping them wouldn’t do the trick.
Getting Creative
If the new beaver home was only a short distance away, then they’d be transported in cages or even in sacks. More times than not, however, the new home was somewhere deep in the mountains, which meant the Department had to get creative with their transportation methods.
Unpredictable
You see, beavers don’t exactly love being moved from place to place. “Beavers cannot stand the direct heat of the sun unless they are in water,” department employee Elmo W. Heter said in a report from 1950. And when this happens, there’s no telling how the beaver will react.
"Dangerously Belligerent"
“Sometimes they refuse to eat. Older individuals often become dangerously belligerent,” Heter explained. This complicates matters, especially since the main goal of relocating the beavers is to keep them safe in the process. Long, arduous road trips would only harm the beavers.
Taking To The Sky
The Department had to figure out a way to get the beavers to their new home safely and quickly. Time was of the essence, and since traveling by foot or by truck was out, the Department only had one option left: traveling by air.
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Recycling Parachutes
That’s when Heter remembered something. The Department had plenty of leftover World War II parachutes collecting dust in storage; what if they could put them to good use? With that, the Department put his novel idea into action: they were going to literally drop the beavers into their new home.
Testing It Out
Of course, they weren’t about to toss a bunch of beavers out of an airplane without testing out the parachutes first. For the first test, they filled one of the crates with weights and threw it overboard. The second test, however, required a live subject.
Geronimo
That’s when Geronimo came into the picture. “Poor fellow!” Heter wrote of the old, aptly-named beaver whose main job was to survive being flung out of an airplane. “You may be sure that ‘Geronimo’ had a priority reservation on the first ship into the hinterland, and that three young females went with him.”
Up, Up, and Away
Once Geronimo made it safely to the ground multiple times, it was time for the actual drop-off. In 1948, 76 beavers were gathered up, separated by weight, and paired off into parachute crates. From there, they were loaded onto the plane, which climbed to a height of 800 feet.
Skydiving Beavers
With the mountainous terrain stretching for miles beneath them, the beavers were pushed out of the airplane. They sailed to the ground and landed, strategically, near a lake or stream. Still, not every beaver made it safely to the ground.
One Fatality
No amount of planning or test-runs could prevent plain bad luck, and that’s exactly what happened to one unfortunate beaver whose parachute cables broke mid-flight. Still, when compared to more typical methods of transportation, parachute landings actually proved to be much more efficient for the beavers.
One Year Later
It was safer and less expensive than other transportation methods, and this creative thinking helped the beavers get back to building dams in peace even quicker. When the Department checked on the beavers one year later, what they found was far more encouraging than they expected.
Finally Free
Away from the encroaching humans, the beavers were free to build their own dams and families without interference. “Beavers had built dams, constructed houses, stored up food, and were well on their way to producing colonies,” Heter wrote. Don’t expect to see any flying beavers nowadays, however.
Modern Fur Trapping
Though the parachute-relocation of the beavers was a success, wildlife experts have since come up with better ways of moving them — or, better yet, of protecting the wildlife that's already being threatened for their fur. In some parts of the world, the fur industry is still very much alive...
Fox Fur Faux Pas
Have you ever felt fox fur? Well, if you have, it's likely been in the coat section of a ritzy department store. We know, it's a bit dark, but the conditions these sweet mammals endure in fur farms make the reality that much more disheartening.
Life of Misery
On fur farms, foxes spend their entire lives locked up in small battery cages, which often leads to self-maiming and infected wounds. It's a life of misery, all for the sake of fashion for profit. Well, members of British animal welfare charity Open Cages weren't going to stand for it.
An Investigation
After another nonprofit informed Open Cages about roughly a dozen foxes seen waddling through the suburbs of Krotoszyn, Poland, its members went to investigate a nearby fur farm on October 30, 2020. Their findings were chilling.
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Initial Sights
Before actually entering the farm, the animal rights activists were immediately greeted by rows of cages full of disintegrating animal corpses. They called the police, and once they arrived, everyone entered together. There was more terror to come.
Frightening Findings
Not only were there fox corpses rotting in cramped cages, but there were also dogs. They were met by the gruesome sight of two dead dogs stuffed into a fox cage. The Open Cages members' jaws were on the filthy ground. Don't let Fido hear about this.
Still Hope
Sadly, of the 130 foxes that were found, a majority died of electrocution. But upon further inspection, there was movement, which meant there was still hope. Open Cages members saw the fear in the eyes of the remaining animals and knew they had to do something.
Deprived and Left for Dead
“The animals were deprived of care for at least a few or even a dozen or so days — the owner of the farm is in prison and there was no contact with the person appointed by him to take care of the animals," Open Cages stated in a report.
District Veterinary Inspectorate
Not only that, but the District Veterinary Inspectorate never investigated the abandoned farm, even though "there are institutions in place responsible for controlling farms" like the one Open Cages investigated in Poland. It's all so horrible, especially considering what goes on inside the cages.
Cannibalistic Tendencies
“Injuries on some animals indicate that they were bitten by cage mates,” according to Open Cages. “Cannibalism is common on fur farms, but these foxes had been left without food which made it worse,” chief executive of Open Cages, Connor Jackson, explained to The Independent.
Connor's Anger
“By now we know how depraved the fur industry is, but even this came as a huge shock,” Connor said. “I cannot imagine the agony these foxes have had to endure just for a fur trim on a coat.”
Escape Artists
"There were also holes dug in the ground under the fences, which were probably the way the animals escaped,” Open Cages continued. About 18 animals were rescued by the heroic group, one being a female red fox who left quite an impression on the activists.
Finding Frania
While investigating the sadistic, cruel conditions these animals endured, the members spotted a little red fox scurry by under the rows of cages. She seemed to be munching on pieces of waste and fox remains, which was undoubtedly a horrific sight. They would soon name this terrified red girl Frania.
Sly as a Fox
Frania was one of the foxes who managed to escape on her own, but Open Cages knew she required food and medical attention ASAP. She didn't have much time, but Open Cages wasn't going to let living on this barbaric fur farm be the end of her story.
Time For a Checkup
After gaining her trust, the members managed to get her in a carrying cage (which must've been a bit triggering) and transport her to a vet. Though she was terrified by the vets probing and pricking her with needles, Frania powered through her checkups!
Beautiful Interactions
After Frania's treatment, she was brought to her new comfy home, which Open Cages happily provided. It was the first time Frania and the other foxes were able to interact with one another. It was touching to see them play and connect, an experience they never knew at the fur farm.
Making History
After rescuing about 18 furry canines, Open Cages said that their mission proved to be the “largest intervention on a fur farm in Poland.” But that was just one example of a larger issue. The activists recognized that they've have to aim bigger to truly protect these animals.
Fur Farming Ban
In line with Open Cages' findings, the Polish government proposed to ban fur farming in September, which was then approved by the members of both the upper house and lower house of parliament. It hasn't been implemented just yet, but it's been a long time coming.
Fur Producer Opposition
The ban would forbid the farming of mink, and implement a scope of protections for other furry animals. But considering fur farming employs nearly 50,000 in Poland, fur producers are furious at the awaiting ban.
Ban on Inhumane Actions Only
“No one is banning farmers from raising pigs and cows. This is simply a ban of the inhumane murder of these animals,” Marek Suski, a member of Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, stated. The ban is expected be put into action one year after the President signs it.
Saving Millions
According to PETA, the ban will save more than 8 million animals who would otherwise be violently killed in the fur industry in just one year. And while Poland's fox fur farms are macabre, they're nothing compared to a famed fox locale in Asia.
A Trip To Fox Island
When Anna Davis was planning her trip to Japan, she knew she wanted to stop at Zao Fox Island. After all, the attraction described itself as a nature preserve just keeping the animals comfortable in a mountain retreat. It sounded like a blast, especially to Anna.
Picture Perfect
She'd seen the photos: as guests walk through surreal, snowy landscapes, they're swarmed by cute foxes looking to be pet like the family dog. From pictures alone, this preserve gave Disneyland a run for its money on the "Happiest Place" moniker.
A Personal Stake
But it was more personal to Anna, too. She volunteered at animal sanctuaries in the United States and hoped this would be similar to those wildlife centers. So she packed her bags and headed to Japan for what she thought would be the trip of a lifetime. She was wrong.
Decorations?
When she first arrived, something about the preserve felt off. From her point of view, the foxes were being used as mere decorations to draw visitors into the zoo. And when Anna paid to get in, she received pellets that looked similar to dog food.
An Extra Fee
Then she was told not to touch foxes or hand-feed them, and that they should “stand tall and try to scare them away” if the animals become aggressive. After all this, she was told she could pay extra to pet her own fox.
Something's Going On
By this point, Anna knew she wasn’t in a wildlife rescue. More than 150 foxes were crammed into the area together, and there was an arctic fox tied to a post — and the animal was dangerously overweight! Her time at the preserve only grew more bizarre.
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Oh, The Smells
The smells were as terrible as the sights. “It was a hot July day, and the area was really dusty," Anna said. "It smelled like feces, and the heat just seemed to make it worse. Her visit only got worse from here.
Hotel Street Views
On “hotel street," a path that winds through Fox Village, wooden crates held sleeping foxes and piles of wire cages held the more aggressive animals. They had very little room to move.
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Spreading Out
The foxes in captivity ranged from a few who were healthy to many emaciated animals roaming around in a dusty space. Besides the boxes, they had very little in the way of protection from the environment and sun.
What's Really For Dinner
Even though visitors were given dry food to give the foxes, wet little piles of goopy, pink food littered the space. Anna watched flies swarm the gunk. It didn’t look appetizing at all for the foxes to feed from.
Scraps
And as people fed the foxes their kibble, some of animals would follow them around the enclosure, begging for scraps and nipping at their clothes. This was the result of too many animals in one area. This was particularly troublesome for foxes.
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Against Their Nature
Foxes are naturally solitary animals who rarely come in contact with each other, let alone people. Putting them together, causes conflict with these territorial creatures — especially in a space that isn’t well set up to begin with. Experts weighed in on Anna's insights.
A Vet's Wisdom
“[Fox Village] keeps foxes in a totally different way from their natural biology,” said Makiko Nakano, a veterinarian who’s visited Fox Village. “[Foxes] do not live in groups. They cooperate only to raise their cubs and otherwise live solitary lives.”
Others Stepping Up
Anna and Makiko aren’t the only ones outraged about this treatment. Many other visitors have taken to trip advisor to talk about the injustice at Fox Village. Hopefully it can serve as a warning to others.
Falling Ladders
“We saw foxes chewing on ladders and pieces of aluminum siding. We saw a ladder fall on a fox,” one reviewer said. “The images you see online are only half of the truth,” another tourist said. One expert noted the very basis of the village may be a lie.
No Longer a Rescue
“The moment you start charging people to be entertained by animals, you stop being a sanctuary built around the notion of compassionate conservation …” said Prashant Khetan, CEO of Born Free USA, an animal advocacy nonprofit.
Entertainment Value
When animals are viewed as entertainment, they are going against their natural behavior. Over time, this can result in a physical strain on them. This isn’t something they can keep up forever.
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"What Happens To The Animal?"
“When the time comes when the animal is no longer performance-worthy, then what do you think happens to that animal? He/she can’t be released back into the wild because they won’t survive,” said Prashant.
Foxes, Owls, and Penguins
Foxes, along with owls and penguins, are only some of the animals who are getting the cute and accessible treatment in cafés and other animal-themed restaurants. These animals may look adorable, but they aren’t meant to be kept in this way.
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Fox Lovers Unite
If you love foxes and want to protect them, the only true way is to get rid of irresponsible and dangerous breeding practices and let them stay wild. When people see them as cute and cuddly, it can send the wrong message.
Other Places To Look
If you want to see cute animals in a responsible way try Cafe Lua in Machida, Neco Republic, The “Outdoor Cat Cafe” in Ikebukuro, Rabbit Island (Okunoshima), Cat Island (Ainoshima), or many other options!
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Welcome To Cat Island
Clearly, dog people learn to adapt on Tashirojima, AKA Cat Island. They pretty much have to, or they’d be miserable on the island where cats officially outnumber humans. How Tashirojima earned the name Cat Island goes way back to the mid-18th century.
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A Stable Population...
Japan’s late Edo Period was characterized by economic growth, enjoyment of arts and entertainment, and a stable population, all of which made its way to the island of Tashirojima...just not in the way people expected.
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Cat And Mouse
The people of Tashirojima were incredibly hard-working, and so were their cats. Between the 18th and 19th centuries, people on the island raised silkworms for their textiles. The problem? The island’s mouse population preyed on the precious silkworms.
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Send In The Cats
Luckily for the workers, there was a clear solution. For every mouse is a hungry cat right on its tail, and before long, the island’s cat population grew to accommodate that of the mice. But there was a hitch in the workers’ plan.
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Crowded With Cats
When you have stray cats on an island, there’s really only a handful of things they can do: hunt, sleep, and mate. Before Tashirojima knew it, the island was overrun with cats. It helped that the island was sustained by the fishing industry.
Cats' Paradise
In that way, Tashirojima became something of a cats’ paradise: It was lousy with fish and mice, it was covered with interesting peaks and trails for the cats to explore, and as the generations passed, the island mainly became home to cat enthusiasts.
Island Of Cat Lovers
And “cat enthusiast” may not be a strong enough word. Every store, hotel, and home on Cat Island has a litany of cat toys, and tourism guides recommend that visitors bring their own cat food, since it's always sold out on the island.
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Good Luck Charms?
Even the most grizzled residents have soft spots for the cats: There’s a mythology among fishermen that the cats bring good luck. When a fisherman once accidentally killed a cat, he felt so guilty that he built something unusual in the middle of the island…
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All Hail The Cats
He built a shrine for the animal, which has become a tourist attraction and a favorite haunt among the island’s many felines, mainly because people leave cat toys around the shrine. Weirdly enough, that’s not the only cat shrine in the area.
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Cat-Themed Attractions
There are at least nine more scattered across the Miyagi Prefecture. As more tourists head to Tashirojima to see Cat Island for themselves, a couple of cat-themed attractions have popped up.
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No Dogs Allowed
You can even find little inns designed to resemble the island’s favorite four legged animals. If you want to bring your dog to the island, you’re out of luck: It’s strictly forbidden in order to protect the cats from harm.
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Celebrity Cats
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the human population of Tashirojima has grown fond of the cats, and though it’s considered “inappropriate” to keep the cats as pets, some of the felines have endeared themselves to the humans more than others.
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Droopy-Eared Jack
One such cat, named Droopy-Eared Jack, even hit the big time. A movie was made about him that was turned into a series, and tourists head over to the island specifically to find Jack. “Droopy-Eared Jack” may not sound like a particularly powerful cat…
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Not-So-Good-Luck Charms
But don’t let the endearing name fool you. Whether big or small, every cat on Cat Island is treated with respect. After all, good fortune comes to fishermen who feed the strays...but in 2011, they learned that this isn’t always the case.
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Why Are They Scared?
On March 11th of that year, the cats suddenly started wailing. That alone wan't unusual, but what was unusual was just how many cats were howling out of nowhere. It seemed that wherever you went, there was a cat, wailing at whoever would listen.
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Cats Acting Weirdly
But that was the problem — no one listened. It was weird that a majority of the cats were making a ruckus when usually they didn't, but no one quite knew what to make of it. Weirdest of all was the way the cats looked.
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It Was Too Late...
Every cat owner knows what it looks like when a cat feels threatened: Their tails puff up, their ears flatten out, their eyes become the size of dinner plates. Unfortunately, by the time anyone realized what this all meant, it was too late.
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9.0 Magnitude Earthquake
Hours after the howling began, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit Tōhoku, sending a merciless tsunami in its wake...which headed right towards Tashirojima. The island and its four legged friends scrambled for cover, hoping the cats’ good luck would save them.
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Miraculous Aftermath
In a way, it did: Most of Tashirojima was still standing after the tsunami passed. Though buildings on the shore were damaged, a majority of houses were intact. One of the first things people did was roam the streets in search of any feline survivors.
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Did The Cats Survive?
It was impossible to protect all of the cats, so the people of Tashirojima were afraid of what they would find. Luckily, they had no reason to fear: Slowly but surely, most of the cats reappeared in town, wet and grouchy, but alive.
Their Nine Lives
As Cat Island grows into a playground for cats and tourists alike, no one can forget the time the furry felines almost sacrificed their nine lives to warn Tashirojima of impending doom. Weirdly enough, it's only one of Japan's many animal-conquered islands.
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What Lies Beneath
At first glance, Ōkunoshima looks just like any of the other islands that make up Japan's Seto Inland Sea. Accessible only by ferry, this unassuming strip of rock and tree has become one of the country's most popular attractions — and not because of its natural beauty.
A Fitting Name
Instead, tourists flock from all over the world for a chance to experience the island's huge feral rabbit population. In fact, Ōkunoshima is now most often referred to by its nickname Usagi Shima, literally "Rabbit Island."
That's A Lot Of Fluff
More than 1,000 of these furry little creatures call Ōkunoshima home, and with no natural predators, their numbers only continue to grow each year. Many locals have come to associate the island with fertility, though tourists seem to hold a far different perspective.
Not Your Ordinary Rabbits
Ōkunoshima has become the premier destination for those looking to get up close and personal with these cuddly creatures. Years of contact have rendered the rabbits docile and unafraid of humans, with many even coming right up to visitors for a quick sniff.
An Adorable Sensation
Unsurprisingly, this unique behavior has produced plenty of viral content that's only served to attract more tourists to its shores. But while an island filled with cute, friendly rabbits may seem innocent as can be, the history of Ōkunoshima is anything but.
Before The Bunnies
Before it was a world-famous tourist destination, Ōkunoshima served as a cultivation site for mainland Japan for centuries. It wasn't until 1904, during the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War, that the island began to take the shape of something more than just farmland.
Showing Promise
Ten forts were constructed to protect the island, though following the war's swift end in 1905, the structures fell out of use. Still, Ōkunoshima had proven capable of supporting military installments — and keeping secrets as well.
Secrets, Secrets Are No Fun
With the island's population at less than 20, the Japanese government knew they could do as they pleased on the island without fear of prying eyes. That's why in 1925, the Imperial Japanese Army arrived on Ōkunoshima with sinister intentions.
A Deadly Plan
After receiving intel that the powers of Europe and the United States were doing the same, the army initiated a secret program to begin developing chemical weapons for Japan — not exactly rabbit-friendly behavior.
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
The construction of the weapons factory on the island was highly classified, and most of those that were employed here were never told what they were making. The Japanese government even went as far as completely erasing Ōkunoshima from their maps.
Chemical Conquerors
For more than a decade, the facility at Ōkunoshima produced over six kilotons of mustard gas and tear gas for use by the Imperial Japanese Army. These chemicals were primarily used during the Second Sino-Japanese War between 1937 and 1945, resulting in more than 80,000 deaths.
War No More
Following Japan's surrender at the end of World War II, all documents pertaining to the project were destroyed, and American troops ultimately disposed of the remaining chemicals through dumping, burning, and burying. Yet what does any of this have to do with an island full of rabbits?
Starting Fresh
Well, during the height of chemical production, rabbits were shipped to Ōkunoshima for use as test subjects. After the factory shut down, the workers wound up releasing the animals into the wild — or, at least, that's what many first believed.
Or, Maybe Not
As it turns out, the remaining rabbits were actually killed by American troops when they arrived on Ōkunoshima. So, how did this enormous colony of fluffballs really get here?
The First Of Many
Believe it or not, the island's rabbits are actually descendants of a group of eight that were released on the island back in the '70s during early efforts to transform Ōkunoshima into a park. Since then, these rabbits have only continued to multiply and thrive — though they may not for much longer.
Unintended Consequences
The increasing popularity of Ōkunoshima has resulted in a population boom as tourists continue feeding the rabbits uninhibited. This wouldn't be a problem if visits to the island were constant, though, unfortunately, tourism doesn't work that way.
Not Enough To Go Around
During the offseason, human-supplied feed becomes a rarity, leaving the 1,000-strong population to turn to the island itself for food. As the number of rabbits continues growing unchecked, it's only a matter of time before Ōkunoshima's vegetation is completely wiped out.
More Harm Than Good
And even when tourists are around, they're not exactly feeding these rabbits the healthiest diets. Many visitors will sneak nutrition-less and even harmful foods to these animals, resulting in the average rabbit lifespan falling to just two years.
Better Off Without Us
"Of the 728 rabbits that we counted on the island, 28 percent had visible injuries or illnesses," reported Animals and Society Institute program director Margo DeMello, who saw this percentage jump to 50 in the areas of the island closest to humans.
Far From Paradise
Conservationists are now working to limit the impact of tourists on the Ōkunoshima, a mission they've already had experience carrying out on another uninhabited island off the coast of Brazil. Unfortunately, the lush treetops here are concealing something far deadlier than a few hundred bunnies.
From a distance, however, Ilha da Queimada Grande looks like the perfect place to get away. Its rainforest-dense shores give way to smooth, sandy beaches below, and the average temperature in the summer rarely tops 80 degrees.
Unfortunately, the island isn't a vacation spot — in fact, no one is allowed to visit it at all. That's because this seemingly idyllic paradise is actually home to one of the most dangerous predators on Earth.
Meet the Bothrops insularis, better known as the golden lancehead pit viper. And while there are no documented cases of one ever biting a human, there are plenty of legends surrounding the deadliness of this snake's bite.
One story tells of a fisherman who foolishly ventured to Ilha da Queimada Grande in search of bananas. When he never returned to the Brazilian mainland, his fellow fishermen set out to look for him, only to discover his snake-bitten body lying facedown in his boat.
Another legend describes the tragic death of the island's lighthouse keeper. While he and his family were asleep one night, a swarm of golden lanceheads slithered their way into the tower and killed each of them with a single bite.
There may actually be some truth behind these stories, as the lancehead species as a whole is responsible for more deaths than any other snake in North or South America. With a venom five times more potent than that of its cousins, however, the golden lancehead could wreak havoc if released into a highly populated area.
Lucky for us, Ilha da Queimada Grande is the only place you'll find these serpents. And like the legend of their fatal bite, the story of how they came to call the island home is just as frightening.
Some believe that, during the days of pirates, resourceful swashbucklers buried treasure on the island and brought golden lanceheads with them to guard it. Over time, these snakes began breeding and eventually took over the island.
More realistically, Ilha da Queimada Grande was likely once part of mainland Brazil, though rising tides eventually separated it from the rest of the landmass. As thousands of years passed, the lanceheads that were trapped on the island eventually evolved into the golden serpents that live there today.
Their powerful venom is also likely a result of evolution, as their primary food source consists of the birds that nest high in the island's treetops. The venom must be fast-acting and highly potent in order to prevent their prey from flying off.
Even their bodies have adapted to island, as the tails of golden lanceheads are much longer than those of their closest relatives. This adaptation serves to help them slither through trees in search of a meal.
Thanks to this abundant food source and lack of natural predators, the golden lancehead population has continued to grow exponentially. Estimates have placed the number of snakes here at well over 400,000, which explains the island's more common nickname — Snake Island.
In reality, the true population size has been grossly misrepresented, as recent estimates have placed the number of snakes here at between 2,000 to 3,000. Still, this comes out to one snake for roughly every 10 square meters of the island!
It's no wonder, then, that the Brazilian Navy has forbidden visitors from stepping foot on its shores. Only research teams with the proper clearance are allowed to travel to the island, and that's only if they bring a doctor along with them.
Still, that hasn't stopped those in the illegal wildlife trade from trying. A single golden lancehead can fetch up to $30,000 on the black market, and a single vial of their venom can go for much more.
This is because golden lancehead venom is now being harvested for its potential medical benefits. The venom's affects on blood circulation and clotting make it ideal for use in heart disease drugs, thus creating demand for the snakes themselves.
Because of this poaching, the Bothrops insularis is now classified as critically endangered on the IUCN's Red List. Inbreeding has also contributed to the population's endangered status, as limited genetic variation has made them susceptible to disease.
Humans have also contributed to the snakes' dwindling numbers, as early banana farmers actually tried burning down parts of the island in order to chase them away. In fact, the island is actually partially named after this practice, as "Queimada" is Portuguese for "burnt."
Fortunately, conservation efforts are being made in order to prevent these snakes from going extinct. As more restrictions are put in place to discourage poachers from visiting the island, we'll hopefully be able to continue to enjoy the golden lancehead for years to come — from afar, of course.
Another snake you don't want to mess with is the Burmese Python. The biggest of these beasts can reach a length of 23 feet and weigh over 160 pounds. They will eat anything from mice to adult deer. And they own the Everglades.
As their name suggests, the reptiles are native to Asia's tropics, but they were now running wild all over the Everglades. Scientists theorize that following the destruction of Hurricane Andrew, pythons escaped from a zoo and bred like wildfire.
Frank Mazzotti didn't know quite where the snakes came from, but he was determined to stop them from spreading into densely populated areas, like Miami. The biologist swore to throw everything and the kitchen sink at them. But would that be enough?
Everglades locals tried all kinds of tricks to root out the serpents. They put snake-sniffing dogs out in the marshes and even set loose radio-equipped "Judas snakes" to hopefully reveal their home base. The pythons only continued to grow.
Word got around that the reptiles took over an abandoned Nike missile site. While that in and of itself didn't threaten anyone, Floridians feared that if left unchecked, the pythons would breed at an incredible rate.
Who knew — it could've only been a matter of time until the snakes expanded beyond the missile base and started showing up in places that were more...personal. The stakes were dire, but Frank learned of one group that could help.
Deep in the forests of southern India, the Irula people have mastered snake catching. They see it as an art and take the practice incredibly seriously, even after India has slapped strict regulations on snake trading.
In recent years, the Irulas have captured poisonous reptiles for the purpose of producing antivenoms. Clearly, there was nobody on Earth more qualified. But how could Floridians convince this tribe to help a community on the other side of the world?
Frank and his herpetologist pals managed to make contact with the Irulas, and to their surprise, the snake-catchers showed interest in helping them. Granted, the Floridians would have to shell out thousands of dollars and agree to some unusual methods.
Hard as it was to believe, the Irulas didn't use any state-of-the-art tools for finding and capturing snakes. Instead, their weapon of choice was something found in any garage: a tire iron.
Contrary to what you might think, they didn't intend these tire irons for a Simpsons-style Whacking Day. The Irula used them to clear a path through the brush and pick up snakes, but ultimately they tried to capture the reptiles alive when possible.
So, Frank welcomed the best Irula hunters, Masi Sadaiyan and Vadivel Gopal, to the Everglades. While both men were in their 50s, they were at the top of their game. But the Floridians got nervous when the Irulas said they'd never before hunted snakes so large.
However, Masi and Vadivel smiled when they shared this fact. They were eager for the challenge, the chance to put their skills to the ultimate test. Granted, their brand of animal control was not without its risks.
From the start, the Irula's tactics puzzled Frank and his friends. They insisted on marching blindly through the thickest part of the swamp. When a snake's trail ended, Masi and Vadivel made everyone sit down, pray, and smoke a cigarette.
Frank's hopes began to wane until one of the Irula's pointed to a shimmer in the mud. Brandishing their trusty tire irons, Masi and Vadivel scooped up a fully-grown python! That was only the beginning.
With a few more captures under their belts, the Irulas fearlessly plunged into an old missile shaft where herpetologists spotted a nest. The sharp-eyed hunters grasped a muscled python tail and spent hours wrestling it out of tree roots.
In that one afternoon, the hunters pulled out four monstrous pythons from the overgrown missile shaft. They soon brought their total up to 14 over their first two weeks. While the Irulas couldn't stay in the Everglades forever, they did the next best thing.
Masi and Vadivel shared their wisdom with the local wildlife management team, which never could've located these pythons with conventional techniques. The Irula knowledge could stem the invasion, so the Floridians wanted to give them something in return.
Besides paying the Irulas over $4,000 per python, the Floridians wanted to give them the real American experience. In between expeditions, they watched NFL games and ate hot dogs at Arbetter's, their favorite greasy spoon.
After a month, the Irulas returned to India feeling invigorated by the hunt of their lives. The Floridians knew they were quite fortunate to find experts to turn back the snake invasion, but of course, it wasn't always possible to have heroes on hand.
Sometimes, everyday people have to use their wits to survive a deadly animal encounter. In the spring of 2017, a mother of four named Bianca Dickinson drove her youngest child, Molly, to the end of the long driveway cutting through her ranch in Victoria, Australia. There, she'd meet a snake.
But first, to pass the time while waiting for the school bus to drop off her older kids, Bianca had two-year-old Molly pose for a few photographs. For 15 minutes, the duo played and snapped silly pictures — until the fun came to an abrupt halt.
With the school bus in view down the road, Molly posed for one last photo beside a wire fence. She wore a huge grin and pointed behind herself, towards the grass blowing in the wind. It was the perfect photo... or was it?
"I was looking through my camera lens and was looking at my daughter," Bianca told ABC Australia. "I saw something move in the corner of my eye and actually thought it was bark coming off the tree." But it wasn't bark.
What Bianca first assumed to be tree bark was actually an eastern brown snake, aka the second-most venomous snake in the entire world. And it was slithering right behind her little girl!
Venom from the eastern brown snake can paralyze victims and make their blood so thin that it seeps through their pores. Without immediate treatment, a single bite from this critter can send you to an early grave — and it has enough venom to kill 20 adults.
So it was no surprise Bianca's insides twisted into a cold heap when she saw one of these snakes just inches away from her baby girl. "I think [the snake] was touching her boots," Bianca said. "It was that close." But what could she do?
"All my instincts wanted to run and pick her up and scream and run away," Bianca said. However, that move, she knew, could've had deadly repercussions. If she did that, there was a chance the snake would feel threatened — and strike.
Complicating the situation, Bianca had to convey to her daughter that there was a big, deadly snake behind her and not to make any sudden movements or take any violent steps backward...
So what did the mother do? She just froze. In doing so, she communicated non-verbally to Molly that she should do the same. "Luckily," Bianca said, "she copied me." And the snake?
Much to Bianca's relief, the eastern brown snake slithered away, leaving Molly unharmed. As it disappeared into the tall grass, the school bus dropped off her three older children. But Bianca's panic hadn't subsided yet...
"I just started yelling at my other three kids to get in the car," she said. "I got in the car and I was shaking." And who could blame her? Her kids immediately noticed she wasn't quite right.
While on the drive back up the driveway, her 13-year-old daughter, Imogen (far left), asked, "What happened? Did you see a snake, mum?" Bianca nodded. "Yes," she told the kids, and "it was at least two meters." Her kids didn't buy it.
"Oh mum, it wasn't that big!" Imogen said. But naturally, mother knew best. Back at home, she pulled out her camera and showed her kids the venomous reptile that'd come within inches of their little sister. And it shook them all.
After seeing just how close Molly had come to the wrong end of a snake, Bianca's older three kids didn't want to go outside anymore. Worse, in showing the kids the photos, Bianca uncovered another nasty shock...
She'd been taking pictures of Molly for a while before the school bus showed up, and when she reviewed those photos, she learned just how long the snake had been in striking distance. The eastern brown snake posed beside Molly in three photos!
In the aftermath, Bianca couldn't look at those now-infamous photos and didn't sleep well for weeks. "Every time I shut my eyes I see that big snake and what could have happened," she said. "I see Molly being taken away in an ambulance."
But how did the two-year-old react to her brush with death? Well, when Bianca showed her daughter the photo, the toddler considered it for a moment. And then she said the funniest thing...
"That's me!" Molly said gleefully, pointing at herself, blissfully unaware of the snake in the photo. Bianca couldn't help but laugh. At least one of her kids wouldn't end up scarred by the moment!
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