Alarming report on Snake-Skin industry - Where is our human empathy?

I never thought that I could cry over something that slithers.

However, a recent exposé on the snake-skin industry in Indonesia had me in tears.

It is often claimed by Asian countries that they "farm" these snakes (and other reptiles) for their skin.
However, feeding a farmed snake with chicken for years makes little sense when you can just pick them from the trees.
So, wild snakes are taken from the trees and kept in boxes or bags for days without food and water.
Still alive they are then beaten on the head with a hammer, hanged on a hook and filled with water to stretch the skin, and then skinned alive.

A secret camera is taken into such a butchery, so this is not for sensitive viewers.
A snake expert then says they hit the snakes on the head in the wrong place, and thus merely stun them.
Even after they are skinned, they still seem to fight for their lives.
A slight change in the hammer blow would cause instant death, and be more humane.

But I guess a lot of people don't see snakes as sentient beings that feel pain, so probably nobody cares.
They also do the same with thousands of monitor lizards every year.

beta.mnet.co.za...

That is horrible. If we at least tried to be humane about it it would be okay-it is sad, but there is a food chain. Without eating animals, another species would eat them and probably grow to be big and eat us too. We are only at the top (sometimes) of the food chain because we eat everything/ We are worse than caterpillars!

But killing dolphins, and snakes, and raccoons like this has to stop. Someday the earth will have its revenge on us poor saps.

reply to post by samlf3rd

True what you said, and "revenge" is imminent.

As the snakes disappear the rats will take over completely.
This is even said in the clip.

reply to post by halfoldman


This was absolutely shocking, that said there are a lot of slaughterhouses worldwide that are shocking also.

Thank for posting this, it is good some people bring these atrocities in the open.

Eating meat is one thing, but good heavens, what the fashion industry does is just horrific sometimes.

And the consumers often don't even know.

I have just learned about this horrific practice. It's disgusting. I eat meat and I try to get it free range and humanely raised. So I'm not against using animals for food. Just for the sake of not degrading ourselves and the animals let us dispatch the animals we consume humanely...quick, no suffering. We have it within our means to do so. So why do we not do this? It's not just the backwards third world peoples doing this, we all know by now how horrific our western slaughter houses can be.

I don't know what we can do about it other than vote with our wallets and be educated and careful consumers. I do not need a snake skin belt or clothes to be stylish. My handbags and purses and gloves are made of cotton or synthetics (which unfortunately have their own negative environmental impacts but hopefully don't involve torturing animals). I havent worn a belt in years as most styles for women now don't even accommodate them.

At any rate there is no greater beauty, fashion and style statement than to dress as cruelty free as possible. We are lucky at this point in time to have cruelty free options my mom and grandma didn't have or know about. Now is the time to promote cruelty free options. There is no excuse for this horrid exploitation of animals just for fashion especially.

reply to post by SheeplFlavoredAgain


But what about the Western meat industry?
Isn't it also very cruel?

To me, killing these beautiful animals is just wrong, and to think that a quicker blow to the head is a solution is very sad.

Why not just have respect for every and anything which eats, sleeps, moves, breaths, and communicates? Could make a longer list, by I'm sure the point is clear.

This is cruel. This is despicable. This is 100% torture. Why the hell do so many people have such little respect for other living, breathing creatures? What did the snakes ever do to these guys?

I agree, though not a snake fan exactly, they do evolve in the cosmos, and we don't eat the meat, so this is absolutely pathetic. Why isn't everything made out of plants, instead of from sentient beings. Which doesn't mean I doni't think plants aren't sentient. But if you walk away form your lifestock, barring old age, disease and harm, they will still be there next year. Plants, fruit, vegetables and grasses of the field whither and fade quickly.
Once fruit ripens, if you don't pick it for consumption, it decays quickly.

Anyone who has spent time with a snake knows they are sweet, surprising affectionate..beautiful things. I cry thinking of someone doing this. Im so close to just going completely vegan. I pretty much am, but I want to wear only natural plant based materials.. No skins no synthetics.. No eating meat.. The mass production of animals for consumption sickens me. It should not be like this.

I weep for the world. It is so sad. I feel pain everywhere I go. I am guilty as a consumer but I really want to try harder to live cruelty free. Star for the op for standing up for our no legged friends

Originally posted by halfoldman
reply to post by SheeplFlavoredAgain

 

But what about the Western meat industry?
Isn't it also very cruel?

Yes it is, that's what I said in my first paragraph. I'm fortunate to live where the groceries carry meat that is explicitly labeled free range, humanely raised and slaughtered. Some of the brands even tell you the diet the animal was fed on, and all are hormone and antibiotic free. In other words, they are raised and slaughtered the way farmers used to do it. I have to pay often double or triple for this kind of meat, and beef sometimes isn't available this way, so when it's not, I don't buy beef, that simple, and buy chicken instead. I do what I can to support practices I believe in, and in this case I vote with my wallet. Now if you are going to ask why I don't just become a vegetarian, well I don't think if an animal is raised free range and slaughtered humanely that it conflicts with my values. Which may seem cruel and hypocritical to some who abhor killing an animal at all. But to me, there is a difference between consuming an animal for sustenance and torturing one through an agonizing death just so I can have pretty shoes and a hand bag.

I hate snakes with a passion and have killed and skinned a number. I don't think you should be skinning anything alive though. Whack em on the head with a stick, make it bite the stick (they still move a long time after they're dead) cut off head, skin the bastard while it writhes around.

I'm calling shenanigans on those snakes not being dead. Snakes still move when they're dead. Thanks for the share OP but I hate them too much to feel sad.

Perhaps, America should set a standard by not promoting/outlawing snake-related products (shoes, clothing, food, etc.) and to stop doing business with ALL Asian/Far East/Oriental countries by putting embargo/sanction on them for their lack of empathy. I guess business thrives on the death of sentient beings (i.e. even snakes/reptiles).

reply to post by halfoldman


or no blow to the head at all..There is no reason people need Snake skin, it's useless other than for looks (and a profit)....

better yet, if someone wants the skin bad enough, They should have to wrestle the snake for it.

that is horrible.

i think they are using excuses about chicken meat costing to much to make a profit. they could eat rats or something else, and if you breed the rats or chickens yourself you will only need to pay for the rat food/chicken feed which i am sure would work out alot cheaper than buying the meat.

it would be better than taking animals from the wild, but as always in this world it is all about bigger profit margins rather than what is best for the earth. all they will do is blame consumers for buying it, whilst they are to blame to i am certain more can be done to farm them rather than take them from the wild.

reply to post by pikypiky

It's actually not a simple issue.
If one calls for the boycott of reptile products, then just in that area over 100, 000 people are unemployed.
And then we'll hear of people selling their kids and organs.
So we don't want that desperation either.